


Series of Fortunate Events

by KayoriSuoh



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 08:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 129,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17463830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayoriSuoh/pseuds/KayoriSuoh
Summary: A collection of one-shots that all eventually tie into a series, featuring all of the respective clans and their Kings. This series is heavily focused on the Red Clan "HOMRA".Rated "M" for sexual content, violence, and swearing.** This is cross-posted from my Fanfiction account,Kayori Suoh. :)





	1. CH I - Yata Misaki (I) - Challenge Accepted

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to make a quick note before anyone begins:
> 
> I do have multiple parts to some of these "one-shots", so numbers will appear behind the names on the titles to signify if they're multiple or not. Also, I go from using last names to first names a lot and am currently trying to go through each update to catch whether or not I have missed any of those details. Close friends (ex, Mikoto and Kusanagi) will address each other by first names, otherwise the last names will continue to be used. :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

It had been a long day of duty for the young HOMRA vanguard and quite frankly, he was ready for some relaxation and a long night of video games. Having started early in the morning, Yata was ready to throw in the towel and finally relax after beating up not two, but three different groups of punks who made the mistake of insulting HOMRA in front of him. Kamamoto, who had given up in trying to negotiate after-work plans with the temperamental youth, followed his partner closely as the two made their way back to the bar. 

"I wonder if Kusanagi will let us actually have a day off," Kamamoto muttered, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

The younger male shrugged a shoulder, "Who knows," Yata looked around at the unusually quiet area surrounding the bar, "Ever since Tatara started helping Kusanagi, we haven't had a break so don't count on it."

"Man, you're right," Kamamoto grunted and sighed heavily.

As the two neared the corner where the bar sporting a plain looking HOMRA sign above the doors, the two watched as a young woman who seemed to be roughly Yata's age, fly around the corner and quickly enter the bar.

Kamamoto blinked, "Who the hell was that?"

"I don't know!" Yata spat, becoming increasingly more flustered as they walked up the steps knowing the girl who abruptly entered the bar would be in there when he walked in.

As the door opened, the scene inside made both males freeze.

The strange girl was talking fluidly to a smiling Tatara while Kusanagi prepared her a drink. Anna, who was sitting on the dark sofa with Mikoto, watched her with interest but made no move to walk over for further investigation. None of the other members had arrived yet, so it rather calm and relaxed in the bar aside from Tatara's obvious happiness to have a new face to spout his nonsense too.

"Ah~ Yata," Tatara looked over and grinned, "Come here for a minute!"

Yata glared at the blond as his cheeks heated up, "Why?!"

"I want to introduce you to this lovely lady!" Tatara sent him an innocent, closed-eyed smile.

Kusanagi smiled and went about cleaning another one of his wine glasses to avoid laughing at the flustered look on the young vanguards face, stifling his chuckles with a newly lit cigarette between his lips.

The girl sitting beside Tatara, who Yata quickly averted his eyes from, looked at the happy male beside her and blinked confusedly.

"Go on," Kamamoto smirked and shoved the russet-haired boy forward with glee, "Don't be rude! Go and introduce yourself to the girl!"

Yata looked back at his partner with a deep scowl before finally submitting to the fact there was no escape from his current predicament.

"H-Hi..." Yata slowly approached the two but made sure to keep his distance.

As much as it pained Yata to admit, the girl sitting on one of the many bar stools was rather beautiful despite how ordinary she appeared. She had shoulder length dark brown hair that framed her pale face and had eyes the color of deep crimson pools. She didn't look like she was rather tall and had a small frame like most girls he had seen walking around town her age.

Not that Yata would admit aloud, his eyes also wandered to her bust and noticed that she was pleasantly endowed.

"You know," Tatara leaned in towards the blushing boy and grinned, "It's impolite to stare."

"Shut up!" Yata snarled before regaining a tiny bit of composure and looked at the brunette but never met her eyes, "Just call me Yata..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soft smile spread across her face, "It's nice to meet you! I'm Reina Misaki."

Yata groaned loudly before turning to a snickering Kamamoto, "<i>SHUT UP, FAT ASS</i>!"

"She already has your name!" Kamamoto doubled over in laughter at the irony, his arms circled around his midsection, "This is gold, seriously!"

Yata, who had grown even more flustered as his entire face turned red, stomped over and promptly grabbed the older man around the neck and proceeded to strangle him.

Several other members of HOMRA had walked in long enough to hear what had been said, and soon joined in as they all teased Yata mercilessly.

Tatara chuckled before looking at the confused girl beside him, "Sorry about that Reina," He smiled brightly at her, "Just don't mind them! As for Yata, he's usually a lot nicer than this!"

"He isn't exactly what you'd call a ladies man and he's very awkward," Kusanagi suddenly added, drawing Reina's attention to him as he smiled down at her, "He means well, but the poor boy just has no experience dealing with girls. He gets all flustered and all but shakes when he's near one, it just can't be helped."

Tatara nodded with a grin, "But, he can easily learn! He managed to get used to King's girlfriend, so getting used to you being around shouldn't be a problem!"

Reina nodded slowly at the two before looking back over to the group surrounding a very pissed off Yata, who was fuming due to the fact he was the unwanted center of attention.

"He's cute," Reina admitted aloud before she could stop herself. Once she realized she hadn't kept that comment to herself by the knowing grin plastered on both Tatara and Kusanagi's faces, her cheeks became a bright red, "I said that out loud... Didn't I?"

"Oh yes," Tatara's grin grew.

Chitose suddenly walked over and smiled dashingly at Reina, "So you must be the lovely lady who is going to steal the heart of our poor little virgin," Her face stained bright red and Yata's angry cry was heard from behind the tall man, "Such a shame you're so beautiful and he won't even know how to treat you."

Tatara was about to say something in Reina's defense when suddenly the man was sent crumpling to the floor with his hands holding his lower stomach, a pained expression on his face as Reina glared down at him.

All eyes were on the brunette as she hopped down from the stool and loomed over Chitose with her arms crossed under her chest, "It's not nice to insult people, ya know!"

Yata stared with his mouth slightly gaped at the girl as Shohei muttered something under his breath about how females were terrifying creatures when made, making several others nod their heads in agreement.

Mikoto watched the scene and felt a small tug at the corner of his mouth, clearly amused by the scene.

"You should know better than anyone that you don't antagonize a woman, Chitose," Tatara chuckled as he too hopped off the stool and kneeled down beside the distraught male and winked at him, "You know it was only a matter of time before this happened!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Chitose mumbled, his pride hurt more than his lower abdomen, "Let's just hope she's a lot more gentle than her punch."

Reina shot him a glare.

"Alright then!" Tatara stood up and looked at Reina, "Would you like to stay for supper?"

She looked up at him with all anger for the man on floor disappearing and nodded slowly, "If it isn't an inconvenience."

"Of course not!" Tatara beamed, "I just need someone to run some errands and pick up what I need to make supper, so I'm volunteering Yata and you to go off and gather everything."

"W-What?!"

"Really?" Reina blushed and looked over at the outraged skateboarder, "Sure, I mean, it's the least I could do for your invitation."

"Awesome!" Tatara disappeared around the bar and through the door leading to back for a moment only to come back with a wallet and a piece of paper, "This should be more than enough for everything, and thanks again!"

Reina took the wallet and paper before looking it over and blinked, "Wow, you definitely need a lot."

"I have a lot of starving boys to feed," Tatara boasted proudly, "That, and tonight deserves a special meal considering you are our guest."

Reina blushed and nodded before pocketing the list and turned around to walk towards the exit, her eyes finding Yata's as she offered him a smile.

Yata felt his cheeks heat and jerked his head to the side as he turned around to walk to the door, "Come on..."

All of HOMRA watched as the two exited the bar before a burst of loud laughter flitted through the entire room.

"Whoever came up with the idea to set Yata up with a girl was brilliant and deserves a reward!" Dewa laughed.

"Well," Tatara grinned and puffed his chest out proudly while his hands rested on his hips, "It was a mixed effort between Kusanagi and myself!"

"So who is she?" Kamamoto finally asked after the laughter settled, "I've never seen her before."

Kusanagi was the first to reply, "She's the daughter of a good friend of mine," He began as his eyes wandered to Mikoto before looking back at the group of boys, "Mikoto and I discussed allowing her to work here part-time, so get used to seeing her around. Today was supposed to be her first day, but Tatara got a hold of her before I go put her to work," He chuckled, "She seems like she's going to fit right in, given how she handled Chitose."

"We also agreed that it'll be good for Anna to have another girl around to talk to other than Kaori," Tatara added with a smile directed at the young girl sitting beside their King, "But then, it'll also be good for Yata to have someone his own age around as well to help him get over his fears."

**\- x -**

"You know," Reina glanced at the boy who walked stiffly beside her, noticing how his knuckles turned white with his death-like grip on his skateboard, "I could have run these errands myself if you really didn't want to come."

Yata looked at her and shook his head quickly before clearing his throat, "No-no! It's no trouble at all!"

Silence enveloped the two as they continued their walk towards the store when something caught the girl's eye.

"Wow!" She suddenly whisked away, leaving a gaping Yata behind to stare at her before rushing to catch up to her, "They finally released it!"

When Yata finally caught up to her, he noticed the way she looked into the window to a gaming store and felt the breath hitch in his throat as she stared at the poster revealing that a game he too was excited for had been released.

"You're a gamer?" Yata asked with eyes wide, "I thought girls didn't play video games."

"Pfft," Reina brushed him off as if the question had insulted her, "I'm not like most girls you may know! My mother always called me the 'tomboy' of the family."

Yata felt something pool in the pits of his stomach that he couldn't quite name, his cheeks heating up as he watched the girl before him in awe.

"Come on!" Reina boldly reached forward and took the boy's hand quickly before he could react and began dragging him inside, "I want to see if they have the limited edition out yet!"

Yata followed the girl closely, his stomach in knots at the girls touch against his own skin. To say the least, her sudden closeness and grasp of his hand knocked all the words out of his mouth like a blow to the stomach. On the outside, the boy looked almost outraged at being dragged inside like a doll, but internally he felt himself openly welcome the unfamiliar feeling of excitement.

"Oh wow, they do have it!" Reina exclaimed happily, never releasing his hand as she used her other free one to pick up the heavy package and examine it thoroughly.

Yata watched her closely and ignored the whispered comments around them from regulars who might have seen him inside the store with Kamamoto during their personal days.

"If you want..." Yata slowly began, his eyes wandering anywhere and everywhere but to her face, "I could buy it... And then we could, you know... Play together?"

Reina looked up at him and smiled brightly, "Really? That would be awesome!"

Yata couldn't help the timid smile that crossed his face, "Y-Yeah!"

There were more murmurs and whispers as Yata took the game from the girl and lead her to the cash. He shot several people a warning look as they all quickly busied themselves before paying for the game and lead the ecstatic girl out of the store. It was only when the two got to the grocery store that they realized they were both still holding each other's hands.

Yata was the first to notice and turned into the flustered boy that had been introduced to her, "U-Uh... Reina..."

"Hmm?" She turned to him then felt a squeeze on her hand before looking down, her own cheeks staining red, "Oh, sorry!"

The two looked away from each other, but their hands never left the others until Reina began to read off the list and mentioned that they would definitely need a cart. She was slightly surprised when Yata offered to push it for her, quickly adding that he could place his skateboard and their precious game inside to make it easier to move around.

Reina smiled and began to lead him through the store, listing off Tatara's ingredients as they walked down each aisle and plucked the necessities from their perch on the shelves.

"Hmm," Reina looked around and noticed that the last thing on her list was high above on the very top of the shelves and attempted to stretch herself to reach but it was in vain, "Damn it! Why do I have to be so short?"

She felt Yata approach her and looked at the boy as he reached up and easily plucked the item off and held it out for her, his cheeks tinged a light red matching her own due to their closeness.

"Thanks," Reina smiled and accepted the item and placed it in the cart, "That should do it now!"

Yata watched her and nodded, following closely as the two made their way to the cash. Once she was able to pay, Yata protested about letting her carry the majority of the bags and left her to carry only two that held the lighter items.

"Yata," She watched as he struggled to carry the bags and his skateboard, "I can take something else, you know..."

Yata grunted and tightened his grip of what he was holding, "Its fine, I got it," He felt her fingers grip one of the bags and scowled, "Really, I got it!"

"Stop trying to be the big man and let me help you," Reina chastised, effectively pulling one of the bags from his grip and saw the appreciative expression flash in his amber eyes.

"H-Hey!" Yata went to protest but the brunette's crimson eyes locked onto his own and all fight seemed to flood out of his body.

Reina smiled in triumph and continued to walk beside the boy, "Izumo said you were awkward around women," She could practically feel his posture stiffen beside her, "But you seem like you're doing fine right now."

 _Kusanagi!_ Yata felt his cheeks heat up, "Well, I uh..." A momentary loss of words washed over him again, "I dunno... When you said that you were a gamer, I guess it just made things easier."

"Oh?" She looked up at him.

Yata nodded but still never met her eye, "Most girls that visit the bar are either real girly women who would annoy the fuck out of me if I was in the guys position, and the others are just interested in sex," He finally looked at her and confessed, "I never knew there were girls like you that liked to game out and just relax."

Reina smiled brightly and shifted all the bags into one hand before locking her arm around Yata's, "That's good because even though we just met, I really like you!"

He stumbled on his own two feet and stared at the tiny girl holding onto his arm, "R-Really?!"

"Yeah!" She grinned, "I can tell that once you finally open up, you'll be a great guy. You seem really devoted to your brothers in HOMRA and that speaks for itself."

"You think?" Yata was wide-eyed.

"Yes," Reina smiled.

"Well isn't this sweet?" A voice called from behind them, "And here I thought you'd be alone forever, _Misaki_."

Yata visibly tensed as the two abruptly stopped walking and turned to see a taller male with dark hair and black-framed glasses a few feet behind them. He wore a cocky smirk on his face and was eyeing Reina up and down before his eyes locked on Yata.

"What the fuck do you want, traitor?" Yata snarled, unconsciously taking a step in front of his female companion, "I suggest if you want to avoid a world of hurt, you better turn around and walk back to your commanding officer."

The male standing across from them stifled a laughter but Reina could see the almost sadistic look in his eyes, "Why don't you introduce your old pal to your lovely lady friend," He started walking towards them, "She is rather beautiful, so it makes me wonder how you of all people were able to catch her eye."

Reina bristled and peered at the dark haired male from behind Yata, "Listen, buddy! You don't get to speak for me!"

"Hmm, so brazen," The male admired with a smirk, "How lovely."

Yata glanced back at Reina briefly before locking eyes on the approaching figure, "Listen, _Monkey_... I'm giving you one last chance to back the hell off."

"Why would I when you have someone of interest standing behind you?"

Reina glared and was about to retort when her arm wrapped around Yata's started to feel warm.

She looked down and noticed Yata was beginning to glow red like the rumors she'd heard of HOMRA and their ability to manipulate fire, but his skin never felt too hot to the touch and gave her a sense of safety.

"My, my," The male smirked, "Getting a little angry, Misaki? Did you piss yourself?"

"Reina," Yata never took his eyes off the smirking bastard, "You take the bags and head back to the bar while I take care of this piece of shit," He set the bags down and tossed his skateboard down in front of him, "I don't want you to see what's about to happen."

Reina frowned, "Yata..."

"How sweet," The male was suddenly behind the two and looking straight down at Reina, "He seems to be taking things very seriously in regards to you," Reina inhaled sharply when she felt his fingers take her chin to force her to look up at him, "Such a shame, really, to be in the company of someone who wouldn't know what to do with you even if you drew a diagram."

"DON'T TOUCH HER YOU BASTARD!"

Yata and the male were now locked in intense combat, with red and blue flames shooting out from nowhere with each blow they gave. Reina could only watch with wide eyes as she watched the two.

"Don't take your eyes off me, Saruhiko!" Yata loudly growled as he shot forward.

Fushimi smirked and blocked each of Yata's attacks with his sword, "Hard to do when you have such a pretty friend."

His words seemed to anger Yata more.

Yata drew back to slam Fushimi with a punch to the face when a shoe came hurdling from out of nowhere and hit the Blue clansmen in the face, momentarily stunning both him and the russet-haired boy. 

Reina, who was breathing heavily from throwing her shoe with all the force she had towards the cocky teen fighting Yata and felt all her confidence leave her body when his attention turned onto her.

"Well..." Reina slowly lowered the hand that held her other shoe, "I wasn't expecting to hit you so directly, but now that I did..." She gulped as he turned to face her completely, "You better leave Yata alone before I put you in a whole other world of pain!"

Fushimi smirked and began walking towards her, "Really now? Well then, let's see what you've got."

Yata quickly dashed forward to intercept Fushimi, only to have the Blue send him hurtling off to the side crashing into a wall.

"No weapons," Fushimi was suddenly in front of Reina and taunted her to strike at him, "Come on, show me that fire again. Try to hit me."

Reina glared and thrust her shoe forward only to have him easily brush off the small projectile. Running out of options, Reina hauled her fist back and swung forward in attempts to hit the blue-coated assailant. When her fist flew past his head as he easily dodged her attack, she felt herself fall forward due to the force she had thrown into her only attack.

Reina glared daggers at Saruhiko as his arm slipped around her waist, "There we go," He smirked, "That tantalizing fire again."

An involuntary shudder ran down Reina's spine at the man's word, "Shut up!"

"YOU BETTER GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER, MONKEY!"

Reina was suddenly spun around and had her back pressed against the Blue clansman's chest as he evaded each of Yata's attacks, conveniently using her as a human shield. She struggled against his grasp and watched in horror as Yata tried to strike his target without hurting her in the process.

"Damn it!" Yata growled, "Be a fucking man and let her go! She's not part of this!"

Fushimi smirked and leaned down close, shooting Yata a teasing grin, "Oh, but she is," He deflected the fire Yata had sent towards him with his sword.

There was a moment where Reina caught Yata's eyes and saw the murderous glint in them that was solely for the man who had a tight grip around her waist. It was then, that the girl realized why she had heard so much about how frightening and rage-driven the vanguard for the Red Clan really was.

"Yata..." Reina bit her bottom lip.

" _That's enough!_ "

All eyes turned towards the group that had begun to surround the three, noticing the entire HOMRA clan had arrived as well as a whole battalion of the Blue Clan members. A woman, who in different situations Reina would have commented about the scantily clad attire she wore publicly, stared in shock at the commanding tone to her voice and felt Fushimi tense against her back.

"Fushimi, release the girl immediately!" The woman narrowed her eyes, "And you," She locked eyes on Yata, "Stand down, now!"

Yata was about to growl out a retort when Mikoto stepped forward, the bored expression usually donned on his face having been replaced with one of annoyance and something Reina couldn't quite read.

"Let's go," He stated simply in a monotone voice.

Tatara stepped forward also and held both hands up, realizing the compromising situation their female friend was in being held so tightly against their former clansman who still had his sword brandished in front of them.

"Saruhiko," Tatara started as he began his slow approach, "This isn't you. Come on, just let Reina go."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes at Tatara, already have slowly loosened his grip on the girl in his arms due to his commanding officer's demand.

Reina felt his grip release enough that she could wiggle from his grip and shot forward, ignoring Tatara and ran right to Yata with worry plastered all over her face. During the fight, she noticed that Saruhiko had managed to wound the young vanguard enough that Yata was showing visible signs of pain.

Tatara also rushed over noticing the pained expression on the younger boy's face, helping Reina keep the vanguard steady on his feet by taking his arm and slinging it over his shoulders. Yata felt his cheeks heat up at the closeness of both Tatara and Reina, but his eyes never left the girl who looked up at him worriedly.

"Fushimi," The woman was now beside him, "You have some explaining to do, so let's go."

Fushimi grunted and clicked his tongue in annoyance before sheathing his sword and turning to follow his clan, "Fine," He paused momentarily only to look over his shoulder at his former best friend and the curious girl who cradled half of his weight against her side to support him before following Awashima without objection.

Kusanagi walked forward and watched as the Blue's disappeared before approaching Yata and Reina, "So, should I ask what happened or do I just assume the usual when Saruhiko's involved?"

Yata scoffed, "That bastard just showed up and started talking shit, so I put him in his place."

"More like he put you in your place," Kusanagi mumbled under his breath before looking at Reina, "How are you holding up? Seems like Fushimi really startled you."

Reina's cheeks heated up in anger as she scowled, "Creepy jerk..."

Tatara laughed, "Well, he isn't always like that."

"You protected the girl?" Mikoto's voice caused the girl to jolt in surprise as all eyes turned to their King. His golden eyes met Yata's amber ones, "I see."

Kamamoto looked between Yata and his King for a moment and gave a confused sigh, "What the hell," He looked at Kusanagi for clarity, "Does he know something we don't?"

Kusanagi observed the silent exchange before chuckling softly, "Seems like it."

The other members of HOMRA quickly picked up all the discarded bags of groceries and soon the entire group made their way back to the bar. Tatara made quick work of cooking the meal while Kusanagi and Reina tended to Yata's wounds.

"Fuck!" Yata cussed and ripped his arm away from Reina, "That stuff burns!"

Reina glared and grasped his arm once again before applying the peroxide-soaked cotton ball against one of the surface cuts, "Stop whining, you big baby! If you sit still this will get done faster!"

A small smile gripped at the corners of her lips as Yata looked away from her, face flushed red and his bottom lip slightly jutted out in a small pout. His hair, now free from the beanie hat he always wore, messily framed his face and moved with each shake of his head.

Kusanagi watched the two and stifled a chuckle, mentally noting how the two behaved like an old married couple.

"Well, seems you have everything under control here," Kusanagi set a first aid box down beside Reina and smiled, "This should have everything you need to patch him up. If you need any help, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Izumo!" Reina smiled back and continued working on the protesting teenager.

Kusanagi made his leave and closed the door behind him, quickly pulling a cigarette from the carton in his breast pocket and lit it with a flick of his finger. The smile never left his face as he walked down the stairs and made his way back to his usual spot in behind the counter of his precious bar, picking up a rag and proceeding to polish the already brightly shining rosewood.

"So, how is he?" Kamamoto sat down on one of the stools, "Think he'll need some time off patrols?"

"Nah," Kusanagi inhaled lightly against his vice before exhaling, "Reina's doing a good job of patching him up, so I think he'll be good to go. Nothing serious, just minor flesh wounds and a massive jolt to his pride, that's all."

Kamamoto laughed and nodded in understanding when Anna pulled herself up onto one of the stools and looked up at Kusanagi with curiosity.

"Will she be staying?" Her quiet voice asked.

Kusanagi looked down at her and shrugged, "Well, I can't see why not. She's supposed to work part-time here for me and she really does seem to fit right in," The others who had overheard his comment nodded in agreement, "It would be a shame if we scared her off at this point, seeing as how easily she is able to handle Yata."

Shohei smirked and chuckled, "No kidding!"

Anna looked around at each of the boys before looking back up at the bartender, "She is... In love with Yata?"

Kamamoto spit out some of his drink that he had begun to enjoy while Kusanagi chuckled, "I wouldn't call it love, but you could say that there's an interest."

"Poor little fucker wouldn't know what to do if she told him she liked him," Dewa and Chitose nodded in agreement, "I'm surprised he's even in the same room alone with her right now."

**\- x -**

Meanwhile, the two in question continued to argue and struggle against one another as Reina continued to treat Yata, who refused to sit still and continuously squirmed in his seat.

"Yata..." Reina sighed deeply and frowned, "Would you please sit still?"

The boy froze at her request and soon huffed, "Fine..."

Putting the finishing touched to his bandages, Reina smiled in contentment at her work and soon closed the lid to the kit. Yata watched her carefully, his eyes locked onto her figure while she put things back into their appropriate places.

"About earlier..." Yata slowly began, his eyes shifting to the side when he felt her gaze on him, "I'm sorry that you got dragged into that. It was my fault."

Reina stared at him for a moment before turning to him fully and walked over to him, "No need to apologize," She took a seat beside him and placed her hand on his arm gently, "I should be thanking you for everything you did. If it wasn't for you trying to fight that jerk off, I don't know what he would have done."

"That bastard," Yata grit out through clenched teeth, "I can't believe he stooped so low as to bring you into one of our fights."

Reina watched as the boy fought his inner turmoil in silence. It took several minutes before she noticed he visibly calmed down and that his skin had slowly returned to a normal temperature against her touch.

"Reina," Yata looked away from her to avoid showing her that he was nervous, "I won't let him touch you again, I promise."

Reina felt her cheeks heat up, "Yata?"

"Kusanagi said you were working here?" He clarified, "If we do errand runs again, I won't let that happen. I'll make sure that asshole won't lay a hand on you again."

She felt her heart flutter at his confident declaration, a soft smile slowly spreading on her face. Hesitantly, she reached up and cupped his cheek gently ignoring how hot it was against her palm, turning his face so that he was looking at her. Leaning forward, Reina closed her eyes and pressed a soft kiss against his other cheek before pulling away to look at him.

Yata was speechless and sat there frozen at the affectionate gesture.

 _She just..._ Yata's mind was running furiously to process what just happened. _She just kissed me?!_

"Lets go get some supper, Yata," She smiled and stood up, offering her hand to the stunned male who eventually snapped out of his stupor to accept her hand, closing his own around hers gently.

Her blush mirrored his own as he stood up, pushing the obvious notion of how close they stood together out of his mind, "Reina..." He used his free hands to rub the back of his neck nervously, "I, uh..."

"You...?" She prompted, looking up at him with wide crimson eyes.

Yata felt all of the confidence he'd managed to muster up flood out of his pores, "Well, I uh... I mean... You know..." He looked away from her but gripped her hand tightly, "It's just..." He finally let an exasperated sigh out before turning to her, face ablaze, "Fuck it."

Reina squeaked in surprise when Yata's lips crashed down on her own with unnecessary force, clumsily trying to coax her own into moving. Her shocked state slowly dissipated as she closed her eyes and kissed back, taking a mental note to tell him he doesn't have to be so forceful. Yata was first to pull away and tried to sputter out an apology until Reina's lips pressed against his own, only this time with a more gentle approach than his forceful one.

When the two pulled away, Yata refused to meet her eye. She looked up at him and giggled, reaching up to brush his bangs aside, "You're too cute, you know that?"

"Huh?" He looked down at her incredulously, "I'm not cute!"

"Oh," She grinned, "Yes you are."

Reina released his hand long enough to pull his beanie off the small table and pulled it over his russet locks, much to his appreciation. When she was satisfied with her work, she reached down and took his hand once more only to blush when she felt his fingers lock with her own.

"So, uh..." Yata fumbled over his words, "Does this make us... _Us_?"

Reina blushed furiously, "I have no objections," Feeling as though she needed to break the nervous tension, she added another comment with a teasing grin, "Who else would I beat playing video games if it wasn't you?"

"Me either," Yata muttered, his nervousness gone instantly at her challenge, "You think you can beat me? I'd like to see you try!"

"Challenge accepted," Reina winked up at him and confirmed their silent agreement, "Yata- _kun_."


	2. CH II - Saruhiko Fushimi (I) - Game Shop

It was a rather nice day outside, as Fushimi walked along the sidewalks like an ordinary civilian. With his daggers hidden in case of an attack, he looked like any other ordinary young adult. Clad in a simple white dress shirt with the sleeves folded at the cuffs, the collar pulled up so it was out of the fold and dark blue pants to pair with his messy dark hair and black-rimmed glasses, he was every bit handsome as he was in uniform. 

Today, in particular, was something he had not expected it to be.

When he went into the office to see his leader, Reisi Munakata, he wasn't expecting the man to quickly take notice of the injury Fushimi was currently trying to shield and told him to take the day off. It had taken the young officer completely off guard due to his commander's uncharacteristic reply to his injury, but nonetheless, he obeyed and went back to his quarters to change and headed out for some fresh air.

After a scuffle between the Blue and Red Clans, Fushimi had managed to defeat the two opposing former comrades and make it out with but a small nick in his side. He hadn't really noticed it until the Blue Clan returned back to base and he changed out of his torn uniform to find blood on his shirt and jacket. Already knowing what his leader would do, he quickly patched himself up without going to the infirmary and proceeded to continue his task of slacking off the following day.

"Damn that Misaki," Fushimi murmured under his breath, "I would have gotten my damned paperwork caught up had he not wounded me."

Allowing his feet to carry him wherever they may go, Fushimi eventually ended up in front of a small gaming shop that was about a thirty-five-minute walk away from Scepter 4.

"Hm," Fushimi walked towards the entrance and peeked in curiously, seeing no one of interest shopping or playing on the available systems, "This can't be a great shop if no one's even there."

Taking a quick look around to see if there were any civilians around who might see him, the ebony haired male turned and stared at the shop for another moment. Eventually deciding to let his curiosity get the better of him, Fushimi walked inside and took a quick look around. There were several shelves with brand new games for all issued consoles as well as movies and t-shirts lining the walls. The further into the little game shop Fushimi got, the more he discovered that this place hidden away from the world was a hidden gem.

Along the back walls were older gaming systems for individuals to come in and play at their leisure, as well as tables for shoppers to sit down and read their purchase choice of manga or play on their hand-held devices.

"Hello," A voice greeted as Fushimi looked over to a young woman standing behind the counter, "Anything I can help you find today?"

Even to Fushimi, she was a fairly pretty young woman. She was of average height and was a little on the tiny side body wise, had a round face with unusually bright hazel eyes and long dark hair.

"I'm just looking around," He replied, "Did you just start working here?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, "Third day on the job, and I still don't know the regulars by their names and faces," She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, "So, do you come here often?"

Fushimi's brow rose slightly, "No, this is my first time in here. To be honest, I didn't realize this place actually existed."

"Funny you say that, because you're not the only person that's stumbled upon this place randomly," A soft giggle escaped her lips, "That's how I found this place a few months ago."

"So then you started working here?" He questioned.

The girl shook her head, "The manager was reluctant to hire me right away and it took up until just a few days ago before he finally decided that having a girl working at the shop was a good idea," She grinned, "Had to show him that I could keep up with his boys."

"So you're a gamer?" Fushimi slowly began taking interest in the turn of conversation, his body pivoting to face her.

She gave another shake of her head making her dark locks dance around her, "Nah, never really was but I know enough from my brother to be able to keep up in a conversation," She admitted, "I just liked the atmosphere and the customers. Everyone here so far has been easy to get along with and actually stops to converse instead of bitching at the cashier as you'd see in most places."

"Fair enough," He nodded before reaching up to push his glasses back up to the very top of the bridge of his nose, "Has this place been here for very long?"

"Not really," The girl pondered, "I think it's only been open for a year and a half, but don't quote me on that."

Fushimi observed the girl silently for a moment before looking around once again, "This place has most items that other gaming shops don't have."

"Yeah," The girl agreed, "My manager tends to collect systems that were once discarded and fixes them himself so they can be displayed and used to their full glory. He has a gift for restoration like nothing I've ever seen before."

Fushimi had to agree with her while he circled the stand with the older first generation systems encased for display and then to the back wall where others of the same were set out for use. He let his fingers brush over one of the systems he had used once as a child before pulling away.

From where the girl stood behind the counter, she watched him closely and admired the way he seemed to envelop himself in nostalgia. While she watched him, she finally took in his details and was able to memorize his appearance.

He had a very simple appearance but even without giving full attention to detail, she noted that despite how long and slender his body was, she imagined that he must have some hidden power behind him in the way he presented himself. His hair was a mess and his eyes held a lazy look to them, immediately causing her to think that he was a student attending Ashinaka High School.

Still, she thought to herself, noting that appearances were deceiving but that didn't stop the girl from admiring how handsome he was.

"What's your name?"

She blinked and looked at him, noticing his eyes were on her, "Well, that depends," His brow quirked at her response, "I'm not originally from Japan and come from across seas, so I have an English name."

Fushimi held back a grunt as he pocketed his hands, "Oh? Where are you from?"

"A small city in Canada," She smiled and stood up, her arms reaching above her head to stretch out her spine, "My name is Keirsten Leblanc, but all of my friends back home just called me 'Little K' because my elder brother's name was Killian. Mum has a thing for names starting with K."

Fushimi nodded before walking over to her, "Interesting that you ended up here of all places," He stopped short of two feet from the counter and his eyes never left hers, "Japan is pretty far away from Canada."

"I know," Keirsten admitted, "But I've always wanted to come here and study the language and culture, so when I was able to study Japanese in college to give myself a little head start before coming here I just made my decision to move," She looked over at another customer that entered the store and noticed that it was one of the regulars and waved to him, "Killian and mum weren't too happy about me moving so far away, but they supported me and even managed to set me up in the university I'll be attending this fall."

Fushimi nodded as she spoke but didn't reply, just listening to the light tone of her voice. He admitted that he found this girl interesting, making a mental note to do his research when he returned to Scepter 4 to find out a little more about her.

"I should be going," Fushimi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and immediately knew it was either Awashima or Munakata checking in on him, "It was nice meeting you."

"Yes, you too!" Keirsten smiled and watched as he walked out, "Hey wait!"

Fushimi stopped at the entrance and looked over his shoulder to her, "Saruhiko Fushimi."

"Saruhiko..." Keirsten muttered under her breath and played with how each syllable rolled on her tongue, "Perhaps I'll see you again sometime?"

As he pulled his phone from his pocket he nodded and waved her off, "Maybe, if I ever get another day off."

Keirsten watched the tall male leave and sighed happily, feeling a sense of pride that she was able to befriend such a handsome young man. Unbeknownst to her, Fushimi was thinking something similar as his feet carried him further away from the small game shop that he would be visiting more often in the future.


	3. CH III - Izumo Kusanagi - You Almost Got Away

It had been an unusually quiet evening in the HOMRA bar, as a certain bartender continued to shine and polish his rosewood baby as customers had come and gone. He smiled in satisfaction at the luster of the beautiful piece of work and hummed softly to himself. Kusanagi enjoyed the peace and quiet without the foolish HOMRA members destroying the place while it lasted.

The sound the bell chiming as the front door opened pulled his attention forward, his hazel eyes locking on a slim figure approaching the bar with careful strides.

She had a casual black coat that hugged her curves and stopped right above the curve of her bottom and had very figure-fitting dark blue skinny jeans on with a matching pair of black flats. Her long colored red hair danced behind her as she continued her approach when Kusanagi finally noticed the dark eyes hidden beneath thick side-swept bangs.

Kusanagi offered the woman a smile as she took a seat on one of the red plush stools, "Welcome, the name's Izumo. What can I get for you?"

"Just a glass of red wine, please," The female responded and offered a smile in return.

Kusanagi quickly pulled one of his finer red wines from the shelf and poured a glass for her, "I see you came alone, so that must mean you're here to relax?"

He could see her visibly tense from underneath her black coat as she thanked him for the wine, "You could say that."

"Troubles at home?" He inquired, not minding the look she gave him, "It's best to let it out then keep it bottled inside, and who better to tell then someone who doesn't know you?"

The woman's eyes shifted from his face down to the red liquid as she twirled the cup in her hands and watched as the wine spun in the glass, "I suppose so. My mother always did tell me bartenders had the best ears for problems."

"That we do," Kusanagi set the glass and cloth down to give the beautiful woman in front of him his full attention, "So, what is it that's bothering a beautiful young woman like yourself, miss...?"

"Akira," She took a moment to compose herself and plan out her words before she finally began, her eyes never leaving the glass in her hands, "As cliche as this may sound, I've recently broken up with a long term boyfriend," She took a sip of her wine before finally meeting his gaze, "I would have done it sooner had I known the type of person he really was."

"Was he abusive?" Kusanagi prompted.

She nodded her head, "Mentally, not physically. Although, he had plenty of opportunities to put me in the hospital, even more so with the events leading up to our break up."

Kusanagi politely waited for her to continue, offering her a reassuring smile even though her eyes were still trained to the glass in her hands.

After taking a deep breath, she continued, "I didn't know back then when I first met him that he was a part of a gang that was being hunted by Scepter 4 until they found my address and questioned me on his whereabouts. That was when he took off the first time, but they hadn't found him until three days later and it was then that I was brought in and told by a man named Reisi Munakata, that my boyfriend had been found on the scene where five dead bodies were laying around him and two others."

Kusanagi's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the infamous Blue King, but he politely continued to listen to the girl in front of him.

"When he was released, that's when it got worse. He yelled constantly and forced me to quit my job in fear of me talking to my coworkers about anything that happened," She paused and shifted, "I think he was more worried that they would contact that Munakata-person again and have him arrested."

"Seems like it," Kusanagi agreed, "So, what was this guy's name, anyway?"

"Aido Kiyaatsu," Was the quick response.

Kusanagi stared at the redhead in front of him, "You were with the head supplier of the illegal gun trades and never knew?" He exhaled deeply, "He must have been good at hiding his title if you didn't know until the last minute."

"Tell me about it! When I finally found out, I felt like an idiot for not knowing sooner," The woman sighed, resting her elbow on the counter of the bar and cupped her cheek with her hand, "I went to a friend's house and did some digging after he was arrested the third time and when we found out who and _what_ he was, I had to stop myself from running like hell. I'm still not sure how I'm going to avoid him now that he's being released _again_ in two days."

The blond bartender used both hands to prop himself against his bar and sighed quietly, "That's one hell of a predicament you've got yourself in, but you shouldn't blame yourself for your choice," Her eyes met his and he offered a kind smile, "You're human after all."

Kusanagi watched as the woman slowly worked away at her glass of wine and insisted that her next glass was on the house, pouring it for her before she could object. While she sat there and twirled her glass to watch the liquid slosh around, he contemplated a few things before pulling out his cellphone.

"Pardon me for just a moment," Kusanagi excused himself and walked into the back where food preparations were done and called Mikoto, "Hey, Kusanagi here. Sorry to interrupt date night."

 _"What is it this time?"_ Came the droll reply.

"Well, I have some interesting information for you," Kusanagi then plucked a cigarette from a package that was sitting conveniently on the counter beside him and lit it with a snap of his fingers, "You know the gun traders we've been tracking down?"

_"What about them?"_

With a deep inhale of the sweet addiction, Kusanagi exhaled slowly before replying, "There's a woman that just walked in and unbelievably, she was that bastard Kiyaatsu's girlfriend."

There was silence on the Red King's end before Kusanagi heard the line disconnect, being met with a dial tone instead of his friend's response.

Kusanagi chuckled to himself and pocketed his phone, "Seems like that got his attention."

Dark eyes looked up as Kusanagi walked back out to the main room, "I have a proposition for you," He began as he took his place in front of the girl, "That is if you'd be interested to hear me out first."

"Proposition?" Her brow rose, "What kind of proposition?"

"Well," He pulled the cigarette from his lips, "As you may or may not know, this bar is owned and run by HOMRA, one of the most powerful influences in the underworld of Japan."

She nodded slowly, "I'm aware," Her brows furrowed, "But that's not why I chose to come here if you think I was looking one of the members to pity me."

"Actually, we want to help you," His reply startled her, "See, I'm right under the King of HOMRA, so I do have some pull with what goes on around here," He leaned forward on the bar and locked eyes with her, "The man we've been hunting down for quite some time is actually your former lover, Aido Kiyaatsu."

Her dark eyes widened in disbelief, "What?!"

"Exactly," He grinned, "So this works out perfectly. If you're nervous about his release and are afraid that he will go after you, then let us take him off your hands. Trust me when I say, that your name will not come up when they find his body and you will not be associated with his death in any way."

"Why?" She stared up at him, "Why would you kill him?"

Kusanagi couldn't help but smirk, "You're defending him?" When she shook her head he chuckled and took another long drag off his cigarette, "He crossed our leader a while back, and while Mikoto usually tends to let some things slide, Kiyaatsu really pissed him off so we've been trying to track him down now for months."

There was a moment of silence before the girl's shoulders began to shake. Kusanagi was about to offer words of comfort as he assumed she was holding in a sob due to the situation but was surprised when she began laughing.

"This is irony in its finest!" She wiped a tear from her eye as she caught her breath and composed herself, "I can't believe this. It must have been fate that brought me here to HOMRA only to find out that you're after Aido as well."

Kusanagi chuckled, "It definitely seems that way."

**\- x -**

Exactly two days later, Aido Kiyaatsu was released during what would have been a calm morning. The entire police force was lined up and watching him walk with one of his men to a black SUV that would take him to his freedom, as the door was opened by another man to let him in. Aido cast the police a smirk and waved before hopping into the vehicle before the others and soon they drove off.

"Sir, it's good to have you back," His second-in-command, Daru, said with a grin, "The men have been getting restless since they knew you'd be released."

Aido chuckled and leaned back against the seat, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to give them the opportunity to blow off some excess steam," Daru nodded before looking at his boss serious, "You gonna go and visit your pretty little lady?"

"Oh, I'll visit her alright," Aido smirked as he popped a cigarette between his lips before lighting it, "She'll finally realize she made a very sad mistake by leaving me."

"Rumor has it that she's in the west end district near HOMRA," Daru began, "We had one of our guys trail her to keep tabs on her, but I didn't think she'd wander into their territory."

Aido waved him off, "She'll be easy to get out," Daru's brow twitched at Aido's easy tone, "Those foul-tempered idiots from HOMRA just need a distraction and then she'll be easy picking for us to move out of their part of town."

An unnamed guard sitting beside Aido looked at him incredulously, "You're not worried about dealing with the Red King if he catches onto us?"

"No," Aido took a drag off his smoke before exhaling with a cocky smirk, "The Red King may have a temper suited to his title, but he's not one to harm women. If need be, we'll use her as a bargaining chip, or throw her at him as a distraction if need be."

**\- x -  
**

Akira sighed deeply into the chill of the night as she walked along the sidewalk that led back to her apartment complex. She used her hands to rub her upper arms to help fight against the chill as the wind gently danced around her, her long red tresses fanning around her in the breeze. She noticed before the turn that would lead her directly to the front door to the lobby of her building that she was standing only a street's length away from the large wooden door underneath a classic looking sign that proudly displayed "HOMRA" on it, contemplating on whether or not to go back inside and have a drink.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," She mumbled to herself before looking to see if there was any traffic approaching and began crossing the street, noticing the sign on the door still read _'open'_.

Akira had just touched the sidewalk with her foot when the sound of a vehicle fast approaching and the screeching of tires forced her to twist around to look at the source, her eyes going wide at the recognition of the second vehicle.

Three men quickly jumped out of the SUV as it came to a sharp halt while several others jumped out of the detailed red muscle car, all with their eyes on Akira and running to stop her from making an escape. She looked around rapidly at all the men as they surrounded her when a dark chuckle tore her attention from the weapons in their hands to the man slowly slipping out of the SUV.

Aido smirked as he held his hands up in mock surrender, "Calm down, 'kira, we're your friends remember?" Akira narrowed her eyes, "Why don't you come with us and we'll have a good talk over dinner?"

"How about not," Akira spat out, adrenaline turning her fear into a rage as he stepped closer, "Back off and leave the hell alone! I don't want anything to do with you anymore!"

"Oh but, 'kira," He was two feet away from her when he reached out to touch her, only to have her hand harshly slap his away, "You know women don't leave me," His eyes suddenly began to shine with a dangerous glint, " _Alive_ , that is."

She felt her stomach drop, "You..."

"You have a choice," Aido reached out again and touched her face, "You can come back with me, or you can die here and let the civilians see your bloodied, naked body humiliated on the road in the morning when the sun rises."

Akira bristled, "You're sick."

"It's what keeps my men fearing me," He smirked, "It wouldn't be the first time I've used a woman's body as an example for what happens when I'm disobeyed."

Akira's eyes went wide as she watched him pull back, the same cold smirk and condescending look on his face as he looked to all his men.

"Do what you want with her but make sure she doesn't pass out before you kill her. I want her to know who she decided to leave."

Before any of the men could move, Akira spun on her heel and attempted to run straight for the bar door when two sets of strong arms hauled her off her feet. She kicked and thrashed in fear and anger against her captor, their loud voices booming around her as they tried to quickly drag and stuff her into the back of the red car.

They had just about gotten her half into the back seat when the door to the bar flew open to reveal an angry looking teen with a black beanie on his head dressed in green shorts, a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow and had another red shirt around his waist.

"Who the fuck are you and what the hell are you doing here?" The boy spat angrily, "Get the fuck off our turf before you find yourselves in a world of pain."

One of the men who was standing off to the side in case of an attack smirked and mocked the boy, "What's a kid like you going to do?"

"Wanna say that again?" The boy's brow twitched.

"Help, please!" Akira looked over at the boy desperately, "Get Izumo!"

His eyes landed on the woman two men were trying to stuff into a red vehicle, "The fuck? Let her go you bastards!"

From inside, several members of HOMRA looked over to see Yata fly out of the doorway yelling angrily as he went.

Kamamoto sighed, "That kid... He never stops."

Just as everyone was about to return to whatever they were doing, an explosion from outside caused them to jolt up from their seats.

"Go check it out and see what's going on," Kusanagi looked at Kamamoto, "Make sure he doesn't do any damage to the outside of my bar."

"Fine," Kamamoto muttered as he got up and made his way to the door, when his eyes went wide from behind his glasses when he witnessed what was going on outside, "Boss! It's the assholes we've been after!"

The atmosphere went from friendly to hostile in a matter of seconds as the entirety of the bar flooded out the door to see Yata pummelling several men while others were holding a struggling woman as she yelled at boy every time one of Aido's men got near him. There was a car that had caught on fire not too far back from the group,

"Yata!" Kamamoto jumped into action and slammed the man who was trying to run up behind the vanguard, sending him flying off to the side, "These are the guys we've been looking for! Let's get 'em!"

"Seriously?!" Yata looked at his partner before smirking and cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to enjoy this even more than I thought!"

"We have to get her out of here, NOW," One of the two who still had Akira yelled, "The boss is on his way back."

Akira's eyes went wide and her struggling became more erratic, "Let me go you pricks!"

Kusanagi, who had followed Mikoto out the door after telling Anna to remain inside, looked around to survey the damage and the commotion when his eyes landed on a familiar female being held hostage.

"The hell?" Kusanagi strode down the stairs passed Mikoto and the others muttering under his breath, "What's she doing here."

The two that held Akira looked over to Kusanagi, "Back the fuck off _pretty boy_ , or you'll regret it."

"Izumo," Akira frowned knowing exactly what he was thinking, "It was Aido."

That was all it took for the usually composed man to narrow his eyes from behind his purple glasses, "I suggest you let the girl go," Kusanagi's tone left no room for argument.

"And _I_ suggest you walk away," One of the men said, his hand reaching out from Akira's arm to grasp her neck while his partner aimed his pistol at her temple, "We were given orders to execute her, but we want her long enough to make her scream so if you'd be so kind as to fuck off."

"Where is he?"

Akira could feel the men become rigid when they heard Mikoto's voice and even began to shudder once the Red King stood beside Kusanagi.

"Kiyaatsu, where is he?" Mikoto's emotionless golden pools were locked onto the men, his posture slack with his hands in his pockets.

Akira felt her whole body quake at the Red King's gaze despite knowing it was not directed at her. She could practically feel the heat wafting from his body as the red flames licked at his entire being. It was only when his eyes wandered from the men to the black SUV stopping at the end of the street when Akira felt the breath she'd been holding finally release.

"Ah, Mikoto Suoh," Aido smirked as he stepped out of the vehicle, "How wonderful to see you."

Mikoto's lips pulled into a grin, "You don't seem too happy," He watched as Aido walked towards the two men holding Akira, "This is beneath you, isn't it?"

"Consider her a gift if it would mean that things would smooth out the situation at hand," Aido pushed back Akira's hair and leaned in close to her, "Although, I know my boys would be more than happy to have a slice."

Mikoto could feel Kusanagi's aura flare at the scene in front of them, "How about this," Aido pulled away only slightly at Mikoto's words, "You let our friend go," Kusanagi's eyes darted to his King at the word _friend_ , "And I won't let my boys lay into you."

"I don't think you have any leverage to negotiate, Mikoto," Aido taunted, his hands circling around Akira's waist for emphasis, "She'll be injured if you use those flames of yours, and if one of your _boys_ tries to shoot me down she'll be hit as well. Choose your next move carefully."

Yata stopped behind Mikoto and clenched his fist, "You fucking pussy, bringing a girl into this mess when you can't even stand there like a fucking man and face us!"

Not a split second passed as Mikoto shot Kusanagi an affirmative glance when the bartender made his move. Aido narrowed his eyes while watching the Red Clan's second-in-command, only to blink when he pulled a cigarette out from the crevice of his ear, lighting it with a flick of his finger before sizing the three.

When his eyes met Akira's, she felt a heat in her chest that wasn't invasive or harsh.

Rather, it was a gentle warmth that wrapped around her like a protective cloak and hugged every fiber of her being.

For the others, it was treacherous.

Akira was thrown to the ground while all three of the men who had been surrounding and holding her thrashed around in attempts to put out the flames that covered them. Quickly, she scrambled forward and ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards her saviors.

Kusanagi caught her when she stumbled forward, "Easy now," She was shaking violently and was breathing hard but even to try to avoid hyperventilating, "You're safe."

Mikoto watched the two momentarily before walking towards the three men, quickly finishing the job and watched as flames as hot as the sun engulfed them and left nothing behind.

"Bring her inside," Mikoto looked over his shoulders to his other HOMRA boys, "Clean this all up and make sure none of them are alive before the sun hits," His eyes focused on Akira as she leaned against Kusanagi, his hand rubbing comforting circles on her back, "No one hurts one of our own and survives."

There were loud cheers of victory from behind them as Akira closed her eyes and melted into Kusanagi, feeling as though he was the only one around her at the moment. It was his gentle touch that calmed her down and the sound of a steady pumping of his heart that steadied her nerves.

"Come on," Kusanagi wrapped an around her waist to hold most of her weight and lead her into the bar, closing the door behind them and sat her down on the couch, "I'll go get you something warm to drink."

Akira looked up at him and nodded slowly as he quickly made work of her drink, walking back to her and set it on the table in front of her before taking a seat beside her.

"Not to push the boundaries of propriety, but are you feeling better now that this is done?" Kusanagi eyed her carefully, keeping tabs on the fact that Anna was now peeking at her from around the side of his bar, "You can be honest with me, you know."

Akira stared at her drink, "I would love to say yes, but I feel somehow responsible for him being incinerated..." She spared him a glance, "But at the same time, I'm glad that I don't have to be afraid of what he'll do to me."

Anna frowned as she watched Akira tremble and the way her hands reached up and gripped her upper arms so tight that her knuckles began to turn white. She was about to slip out of her hiding spot when a stern look from Kusanagi made her freeze in her spot.

"He told his men to rape me before they killed me," Akira choked back a sob, "And to leave me on the streets for everyone to see..."

Kusanagi's heart wrenched.

**\- x -  
**

Three hours later, Kusanagi was just finishing up his nightly cleaning routine with the help of Akira when Mikoto walked through the door. Akira looked over and offered him a small smile as he approached the bar while Anna, who was supposed to be sound asleep, ran up to him and took his hand.

"She's comfortable here," Anna looked up at Mikoto, "Can she stay?"

Mikoto looked down at Anna and regarded her words before looking at Akira and Kusanagi, "Ready her a room tomorrow. Until we track down the rest of them, she's not safe," He reached down and picked up Anna before plopping her down on one of the many bar stools, "She can stay in Anna's room this evening."

Kusanagi nodded and smiled at Akira, "You're in good hands, Akira," When she turned to look at him she watched as he discarded his dirty cleaning cloth into a bin she suspected was under the counter and then walked around so he was beside her, "Would you like me to take you to go get your clothing and anything else of value at your apartment?"

"That would be very kind of you," Akira felt her cheeks heat.

Kusanagi smiled and turned to walk to the door to grab his coat off the rack, "We won't be long Mikoto, so if you wouldn't mind helping Anna get ready for bed?"

He couldn't hide the soft look that took over his features as he watched the small child leaning on the counter with her head in her arms, her shoulders lifting and falling with each deep breath she took as she slept.

Mikoto grunted his reply and finished the drink Kusanagi hadn't noticed he'd gotten before circling around to pick Anna up, "Just hurry up."

"Roger that," Kusanagi fake saluted his King before opening the door for Akira to walk out and followed closely behind her, "How far away is your building?"

Akira pointed down the street to the left of the entrance, "Just down there. I never realized until I met you that I lived so close to the bar," She walked beside him and stuffed her hands into her pockets, "Where do the others stay?"

"Actually," Kusanagi took a drag from his newly lit cigarette, "Yata and Kamamoto have a permanent residence in the rooms on the upper level of the bar just like Mikoto and Anna," He explained, "While the other members float around, but we have enough rooms for everyone to board there if need be."

Akira nodded and looked up at him, "Is Anna someone's daughter?"

"Well, you could say that," He chuckled, "I'm technically one of her legal guardians while Mikoto's girlfriend has primary custody of her, but she wasn't fathered by any of us at HOMRA. She's what you call a 'strain'."

"I've heard of strain's before when Aido would talk about his business in the room with me," They stopped short of the door and she dug out her key to open the door to the main lobby, "It was those little tidbits he let slip in front of me that made things easier to take when I'd see things on the television. By the way, this is a building that you can smoke in so don't worry about putting it out."

Kusanagi nodded and followed her from the lobby and up the stairs to her apartment. She was in room forty-six, on the second floor down the left stairwell.

"I didn't think the Blue's would let anything slide on the air," Kusanagi mused with a grin.

Akira shrugged, "He never mentioned any Blue's, so I don't know."

"He would have been speaking of Munakata and his crew," Kusanagi corrected, earning a nod and a look of understanding from the girl in front of him.

When the two got into the apartment, Akira hurriedly prepared her things for what Kusanagi was expressing as weeks on end in his explanation. The bartender helped her where he could and soon the two headed back to the bar, Kusanagi got her settled in and led her to Anna's room for the night.

"Thank you, really," Akira turned to look up at him, "I'll be sure to make this up to all of you."

"No need," Kusanagi chuckled and leaned against the door frame, "Have a good night, Akira."

"You too, Izumo."


	4. CH IV - Tatara Totsuka (I) - Expect the Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this one. I really wanted to pair Tatara up with someone special, hence why Kyra was "born"! :) 
> 
> Note (July 23rd): Kyra's name is pronounced "Kai-rah", in case you were wondering. :)

It had been several weeks since Japan's spring finally began to melt the winter's snow away, and with the spring came the beautiful green hidden beneath a white glow. Kyra sighed in contentment as she walked down the sidewalk towards her favorite park, every now and then shifting her heavy black bag a little more comfortably up her shoulder while she journeyed to her usual spot. Her footsteps led her to the same park bench facing what is a stunning garden in the summer with a small lake hidden behind the bushes, but with the melting snow and the ice still melting on the water, Kyra felt this was a perfect opportunity to paint it before it disappeared for another year.

As she set up, she smiled and positioned her easel face where she concurred which she felt was the best spot and then took a seat on her stool. With her board in hand, she carefully emptied some of her colors spread out around the entire piece of thin wood and began to eye the scenery so she could begin.

"Hmm," Kyra closed one of her eyes and carefully took in all the details, "Alright, I think I've got it."

Her brush moved with a mind of its own, moving in slow, graceful strokes. The colors blended in perfect harmony with each other, creating a near perfect representation of what was in front of her give or take minor details. She had almost finished the entire painting from start to finish by the time she was ready for lunch.

"Wow! You're amazing!"

Kyra, who was used to strangers popping up from out of nowhere, never flinched and just continued as if he had been standing there the entire time and smiled to herself.

"Thank you so much!" Her eyes wandered the painting until she decided that it would be a good enough time to take a break and turned to look over her shoulder at her audience, not entirely expecting to see such a handsome face smiling brightly down at her.

He was tall and slim and didn't look much older than her twenty-year-old self. He had light brown hair and soft brown eyes matched with a bright smile. He was dressed casually for a chilly spring day, with a simple pair of dark jeans and a light tan jacket with a white fluffy scarf around his neck that somewhat threw her off.

"Do you come here and paint often?" He tilted his head.

Kyra nodded and felt the blush lining her cheeks, "Yes actually, but this is the first time I've decided on my current project to try and paint all of the four seasons."

"Wow," His eyes went wide, "That's dedication!"

"It's just my passion!" Kyra grinned, "My name's Kyra by the way."

He smiled brightly down at her, "I'm Tatara! It's an absolute pleasure to meet you."

Kyra's blush intensified as he leaned in close to inspect her piece, "What lovely detail!" She didn't his smile could get any bigger than it already was but she was pleasantly mistaken, "And the colors match the entire real scenery so well it almost looks like you've just snapped a picture! Absolutely beautiful!"

She felt her heart flutter at his compliments and attention to the finer details, "Thank you..." When his soft brown eyes met her own dark grey's, "I don't think anyone else has ever said so many kind things about my artwork."

"It's obvious that you're very passionate about your work," He was smiling down at her, "I, too, am passionate about my hobbies but I can't even compare!"

"Your hobbies?" Kyra blinked, "Do you paint as well?"

Tatara stood up straight and laughed, "Not exactly! I dabble in a lot of things," He grinned and put his hands behind his head in a very relaxed posture, "I find always keeping an open mind and a willingness to try new things is important in life, so I try not to just enjoy one thing but to simply enjoy them all!"

His bright and cheery voice made it hard for Kyra to turn away to continue her painting, even finding herself cleaning her tools and paint board before putting them away in their proper places in her bag.

"Oh, don't put your stuff away!" Tatara blinked, "Am I disturbing you?"

Kyra grinned, "Not exactly," She stood up and carefully placed her still went painting a special holder that she had created herself and soon put her easel away, "I want to get to know you better, that's all!"

Tatara felt his cheeks heat up and beamed brightly at the idea of a woman like her wanting to talk more, "Really? Would you like to go for lunch?"

"Sure," She giggled and finished packing up her things before preparing to hoist the bag over her shoulder, only to have it taken from her as Tatara picked it up, "Oh Tatara, you don't have to do that!"

"I insist!" He grinned and began walking, "So tell me, Kyra, what got you into painting?"

She walked beside him and found that she couldn't argue with him, "Well, my mother was a local artist that taught at the art center downtown and my father was a curator for the Louvre in Paris."

"Wow, so art's definitely in your blood," Tatara went wide-eyed, "Are you from Paris?"

"No, just my father but my mother traveled a lot until she got pregnant with me," Kyra laughed, "He met my mother when she went to Paris to pursue her career as an international photographer but eventually she decided that painting was her calling. She was taking pictures in the museum when he met her and gave her a tour."

"Ah~ Young love always finds its way through such lovely, simple means!" Tatara sighed happily, "Such a happy story! So then, you and your mother live here in Japan alone?"

Kyra nodded with a smile, "My father visits often and told me if I kept it up, that one of my paintings could be taken to Paris and shown in one of the cultural art festivals so that's been one of my main driving forces to create my new set of four seasons."

"Beautiful," Tatara smiled, "What beautiful aspirations."

Kyra blushed, "Thank you," She tugged at the sleeve of her jacket gently, "So what about you? What hobbies do you have on the go right now?"

"Hmm," Tatara brought his free hand up to his chin, "Well, I've been really big into cooking recently and I'm also trying to learn the guitar. Oh, and I found an old jukebox too that I'm trying to restore, and then there's my antique collection," He rambled off, "King and Izumo say that I have too many things on the go, but I know one day they'll see my reasoning."

Kyra blinked, "Wow, that's certainly a lot all at once! And guitar? You're ambitious, that's for sure," She giggled and looked up at him, "Who is _King_?"

"He's a very special friend of mine," Tatara smiled, "Would you like to meet them both? Izumo's bar has the best food and drinks in town! He has tea and coffee too," He assured her.

Not wanting to deny his polite request, Kyra nodded and let Tatara lead her towards a more risque part of town, and eventually, the pair ended up in front of a bar on the corner of the street that had a plain but elegant sign reading 'HOMRA' above the door.

"Ladies first!" Tatara smiled as he opened the door.

Kyra walked inside not exactly sure what to expect and noted that the bar was nothing like the ones she had been to. It seemed like more of a fancy restaurant that had high-class clientele rather than rowdy drunkards who were looking to pick up unsuspecting ladies for a pleasurable night.

"Wow," Kyra breathed out, "This place is amazing."

"Nice, isn't it?" Tatara grinned and ushered her towards the bar, "Order whatever you'd like, Kyra."

Kusanagi, who had been cleaning the counter with a white rag, looked up and blinked twice as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Well, well, well!" Kusanagi grinned, "This is certainly a surprise," He set the rag down and walked over to look at Kyra, "What can I get for you?"

Kyra blushed, "Just a tea, please."

"Coming right up," Kusanagi gave her a dashing smile and winked before seeing to her drink.

Tatara set her bag down near where the couch was beside the jukebox and went to sit beside her, "That is Izumo Kusanagi, and he owns the bar and the living spaces upstairs," He explained, "And this gentleman who just sat down and joined us," He paused when Kyra looked over to see a handsome man with red hair sit two stools away from them, "This is the man I call 'King', Mikoto Suoh."

Mikoto looked at the two and then nodded his acknowledgment, "I didn't realize you knew women, Tatara."

Kyra stifled a giggle at Tatara's indignant groan, "King! How could you say something so cruel?!" His hands flew up in exasperation, "Of course I have female friends!"

"Here you are, sweetheart," Kusanagi set down a coaster before setting the steaming cup of tea in front of Kyra, "Anything else I can get for you?"

"No, that's fine," Kyra thanked him and sipped at her tea while Tatara complained about Mikoto's lack of confidence in his ability to have more than just male friends to be around, "Are they always like this?"

Kusanagi nodded and smiled, "Tatara's never brought a friend into the bar before," His eyes met hers and he winked, "At least as not as pretty as you are, so this is somewhat of a shock for all of us."

Kyra giggled and looked over to them, "He told me about all of his hobbies."

"Ah yes," Kusanagi sighed, "All of those pieces cluttering my bar are his," He motioned over towards the couch, "But it keeps him happy as well as entertains the boys, so I guess I don't have much say in the matter."

"Boys?" Kyra blinked, "As in... kids?"

"You could definitely call them that," Kusanagi chuckled, "No, they're a part of HOMRA."

"I'll pretend to know what that is," Kyra smiled and continued to sip at her tea.

Kusanagi looked at her and returned her smile, "Better to keep you in the dark than ruin your opinion of us when you just met us," He went back to cleaning the top of his counter and left Kyra to her thoughts, "You have to expect the unexpected when you meet people like Tatara, though. He's a rare kind of person."

"That he is," Kyra looked at him and felt a sense of calmness run through her, "Maybe it was fate that I met him in the park today."

Kusanagi looked at her and then to the charismatic brunette fluidly talking to Mikoto, "Well, fate can be a fickle thing."


	5. CH V - Scepter 4 (I) - A Tour Gone Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a funny, "parody" chapter that I decided to toss into the story. Munakata is not paired with Awashima in my story, so, sorry in advance to all of the Munakata/Awashima shippers out there!

"Sir... Why did you agree to this?"

Awashima stared at the Blue King, who sat behind his desk with his fingers folded together in front of his face to hide the amused smirk slowly creeping onto his face. Munakata took a moment to compose himself before looking his second-in-command in the eye.

"I thought I had passed the message on," He said with an easy-breezy tone, "I am allowing Scepter 4 to be opened to the public for a tour just this one day, and I have decided to name you the guide to for this special occasion."

Awashima bristled, "Shouldn't someone more appropriate be assigned to giving this tour, sir? Like Fushimi, who seems to be slacking on his paperwork this week? It would be a more fitting punishment to have him guide these citizens through Scepter 4."

"Nonsense," Munakata waved off the idea and stood up, "I have my own way of dealing with Fushimi."

The usually collected and passive woman in front of him seemed to deflate at the idea of her captain not relenting and sighed before standing more firmly, "Understood, sir. When will the gates open to allow the civilians in?"

"This evening after the routine sweep," Munakata instructed, "You and I will go and meet the entire group for the tour and I will personally introduce Scepter 4, and afterward you will begin the tour and take them through the main part of the building."

Begrudgingly, Awashima nodded her head and followed her captain out of the office as they walked down the hall leading towards one of the rooms Fushimi's men worked out of. When they arrived, the small crew were hard at work using their computers to track down a few local strains that were causing havoc, while Fushimi hovered over them to see if he could pick up on anything while his subordinates quickly scanned over either typed up documents or live feed off the streets.

"Fushimi," Munakata entered the room and smirked, "I see you're hard at work today?"

The young third-in-command looked over and narrowed his eyes slightly, "Of course I am."

The Blue King chuckled slightly and walking right through to the other room adjacent to Fushimi's "office" with Awashima in tow. Fushimi shot his superior a questioning look but was given a shrug in return for an answer, so he quickly dismissed his King's strange behavior and continued on with his work.

"Sir?" Awashima followed closely behind Munakata, "Is this our sweep for this evening?"

Munakata nodded, "I figured it would be more beneficial for me to see to it that it was done now rather than have things go like they normally do before the guests start to arrive."

It took them precisely fifteen minutes to walk around and conduct their sweep and when Munakata was pleased by the results, he led Awashima to the front doors before turning to look at her.

"It seems some of them have already arrived," Munakata mused, "Please be sure to put on a good show for them, Awashima."

Her icy blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Of course, sir."

**\- x -  
**

"Welcome to Scepter 4," Munakata announced as the citizens who signed up for the once in a lifetime tour gathered around the Blue King and his Awashima, "My name is Reisi Munakata and this miss Seri Awashima, who will be your guide through this tour. I am delighted to see so many curious faces today for this event."

All eyes then turned to the woman standing beside the Blue King, who became visibly stiff before correcting herself and stepping forward, "As my captain has said, my name is Seri Awashima and I will be your guide. Please stick together and remain close so you can hear what I have to say."

Reisi looked at his second-in-command with a droll look at the bluntness of her words but made no move to correct her or to remind her that she needed to be friendly to the civilians.

"Alright, let us begin," Awashima announced, motioning for the group to follow.

"Will Munakata be joining us?" A very young, possibly middle school student asked as she and her friend giggled madly at how handsome he was.

Awashima gave them no facial reactions in response, "No."

The two became visibly crestfallen but followed nonetheless.

"This is one of two main entrances to Scepter 4, but this is the only entrance we will be seeing during this tour," Awashima stated, her tone flat and monotone while they walked around the lobby for a moment before stopping at a door leading to the first set of workrooms, "Please keep in a line and be sure to stick together. This building is very large and _it would be a shame_ if one of you were to get lost."

Everyone seemed to stiffen at her words as each citizen followed obediently.

Awashima explained the bare necessities to each of the members of the tour group, taking them from each room to room. She would open the door and bring them only inside a few feet, explaining the importance of the members inside before ushering them outside and down further into the building.

"Miss Awashima," A male voice spoke as she turned to look at the person, "Do all the women in this facility dress like you?"

Awashima's brow twitched, "If there were more women other than myself, yes, this would be the issued uniform."

"So, the slutty skirt is a part of your uniform? But you can see your ass cheeks even without gawking!" The man exclaimed.

Awashima narrowed her eyes at the men who were snickering, "You will do right to keep your thoughts to yourself."

The man blinked at the deathly stare he was receiving from the female lieutenant, his mouth sealing shut as he could only nod his obedience.

Soon, the group found themselves in a rather large area that looked more like a coffee shop with the way the tables were set up and the fact that there was a large flat-screen television on the wall.

"And this is where we have a special unit under the careful supervision of our third lieutenant in command heading all research that needs to be done above the regular forces in the city," Awashima motioned to Fushimi, who looked less than impressed that she had brought the civilians into his domain, "Fushimi, why not introduce yourself and explain some of what you do?"

All eyes turned to the bored looking male who grunted and fixed the position his glasses sat on the bridge of his nose with a click of his tongue, "I'd rather not."

" _Now_ , Fushimi," Awashima narrowed her eyes.

Fushimi met her gaze and scoffed before standing up and gave each and every one of the group a scathing look, "As the lieutenant stated, I am third-in-command and head the intel corps of Scepter 4. My full name is of no importance to you, and now that you know what you need to know, please leave."

Awashima stared at Fushimi incredulously, "Fushimi!"

"I'm busy," He simply stated and brushed her off before motioning to the door, "Every one of you, out, **_now_**."

Without warning, Awashima and her group were ushered out a very haughty manner by Fushimi as he slammed the door in everyone's face.

Awashima bristled at Fushimi's behavior and contemplated barging back into the room to reprimand him, but decided against it, "Let's continue."

"You're going to take that from that asshole?" One person said.

"I thought you were his superior!"

"Wow, what a hunk..."

"Stop saying that! He's good looking but he has the personality of a gnat!"

"But all of the men here are so _gorgeous_!"

Awashima watched with a blank expression as the guests became rambunctious, soon going into a frenzy while they yelled insults or compliments about Scepter 4.

 _It would seem Fushimi started a riot..._ Awashima sighed, knowing she couldn't really do anything to discipline them.

"It's so not fair!" One girl exclaimed, "Why are all the people here so beautiful?!"

"I know, right! That captain of theirs, Muna- _what's_ -a, he's so dreamy~"

"Never mind that! I love that bad boy back in that room!"

"But what about the guy at the gate that let us in?!"

"The orange-haired guy is pretty hunky, too!"

"Ew, he was ugly."

"WAS NOT."

"Why do all of these guys here have amazing hair? Is it like, a prerequisite or something to have such amazing hair?"

"Never mind them, what about our guide?! She's fucking sexy!"

"Yeah! I'd like to lay that over my lap and smack that fine ass!"

... Twitch.

"ENOUGH."

All eyes fell on Awashima. With the look she was now giving the citizens, they all began to turn a little pale and shrunk back under her stare.

"Unbelievable," She shook her head, "All of you, grown adults!"

"Ooouuu, she's got that authoritative demeanor now!" One guy said with a smirk, "I wonder if there's a broom closet somewhere–"

One of the girls squealed as Awashima brushed passed her to stand in front of the guy, "Excuse me?"

"Miss Awashima," The familiar voice of Munakata spoke as all eyes turned to him, "Might I ask what's got you so angry?"

"Sir."

"Ooouuu~ He's here~!" A girl squealed.

Munakata looked at every individual closely before grinning, "I see," He walked forward and placed a hand on Awashima's shoulder, "Please, allow me to handle this."

Awashima felt her cheeks heat up as she pulled away from the man and nodded, stepping aside for her King to take over.

He loomed over the man and stared down at him with his cerulean eyes, "So, you've taken interest in my first lieutenant, have you?" He crossed his arms and leaned down closer, "My, my. It seems that I have some competition, then."

Everyone went silent and not even a breath could be heard.

"S-Sir!" Awashima's cheeks flared, not expecting Munakata of all people to come out with that.

A smirk slowly spread across his face at the embarrassed voice coming from off to the side as he continued to stare down at the now glaring man in front of him, "Your silence makes me believe that you wish to duel me for miss Awashima's affections," His eyes started to twinkle with amusement.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get you, pretty boy," The man smirked.

Munakata chuckled and pulled away, his arms unfolding as he reached for his belt that held his saber around his waist and unbuckled it, handing it to Awashima, "I won't be needing this," He motioned for the man to follow him and started down another hall, "You are welcome to come and watch should you wish."

"Yeah!"

Everyone rushed down the hall quickly to follow after Munakata as he turned into a room that had double doors. When everyone got to the doors, they all peered inside and noticed that it was some sort of training room.

"Would you all take a seat on the benches to the left of the room, please," Munakata looked at everyone with a pleasant smile, "I wouldn't want any unnecessary casualties."

All of the citizens quickly took their respective seats as instructed, as Awashima walked in and shook her head. _Honestly, sir..._ She never thought she would see the day that her commanding officer–the Blue King to be precise–would calmly engage a citizen in a battle she knew that he would stand no chance in. Reisi Munakata was one of the most skilled fighters Awashima had ever laid eyes on, so this would be one-sided and hardly worthy of breaking a sweat.

Just what exactly was he up to?

"I hope you're ready to get your fucking pompous ass humiliated in front of all of these people?" The man snickered as he pushed the cuffs of his sleeves up his arms and took what he considered was an intimidating stance, "Bring it on!"

Munakata chuckled and took his own stance, not even needing to rely on his gifted powers to take on his current opponent.

"Miss Awashima, would you care to do the honors?" Munakata looked at Awashima with a dashing smile before facing the angered man in front of him.

Awashima bristled for a moment before sighing, "Alright," She resigned herself and walked forward, "We will do this like a normal Scepter 4 sparring match, being that the last man standing is the victor."

The man looked at Awashima with hungry eyes while Munakata waiting with patience, a feeling of disgust pooling in his stomach as he watched the man rake his eyes up and down his first lieutenant's body as he'd never seen a woman before.

"Begin!"

Munakata cast the boy a mocking smile, "You may have the first hit, if you think you can land a punch, that is."

The man needed no second invitation, charging towards the Blue King with a loud cry. All of the spectators watched with bated breath until the man, embarrassingly, lost his footing and went sprawling face-first to the floor with an audible _smack_.

"..." Awashima stared and felt her jaw go slack as the man twitched on the floor for a moment before he slowly began to peel himself from his spot.

Munakata was left standing there to watch while he tried to formulate even half a response.

"Get up!" One man shouted from the side.

"Yeah! You're all big talk and no action!" Came a female voice, "Show that pretty boy who's boss!"

"Yeah!"

"Come on!"

"Get up!"

He slowly got up and gave himself a shake, "I hope you're ready..." Shakily, he stood up and prepared for another attack.

Munakata couldn't hold back his laughter much longer and soon let out a throaty chuckle, "I assume that was meant for me to say since you just had quite the reunion with the floor below."

Another loud cry and the man shot forward, this time tossing a punch that Munakata dodged easily and swiftly delivered yet another. As the two danced back and forth, the man became increasingly agitated by the fact that he couldn't land a hit, nor would Munakata try and make his own move.

"You're lacking reflex and your throws aren't showing that you are serious," Munakata taunted, "Am I not as intimidating as you once thought?"

The man gave a rage-filled cry and aimed for the Blue King's stomach, "Shut the hell up!"

Munakata surprised the man by lashing out, his hand quickly slapping the man to throw him off guard. This in turn only made the man even more enraged.

"Come now, don't let your temper fuel your fire," He smirked and got close enough to the man to look down at him, "The first rule of a duel is to set aside your emotions and fight as if your cause is just. There is no room for emotional baggage when facing death."

"Stop trying to school me you prick!" The man managed to swipe and felt his knuckles brush against the infuriating Blue King's face (little did he know that Munakata let him), "Stop fucking dodging!"

"Would you prefer I make my own move? Very well."

The crowd gasped loudly as Munakata's fist slammed mercilessly into the man's stomach, forcing the man's entire body to curl into the King's appendage on contact.

"Perhaps next time," Munakata leaned down and whispered, "You will respect my subordinate in front of me when you proceed to send out indignant, crude messages and words to her. I should say that for any other women you may run into contact with in the future, as well," He let the man's form slip off his fist and watched as he went crashing down onto the floor, "Let this be a lesson to all who may have been interested in sparring with me after this fool."

All eyes were wide and mouths were clamped shut.

Awashima watched with wide eyes, "Sir, you could have been less harsh. He is a civilian, so he does not have the physical strength to defend against one of your blows."

"Nonsense," Munakata smirked and stepped over the man to walk over to his second in command, "Besides, it boiled my blood to have this man look at you as if you were a common prostitute. You are an extremely respected woman, Seri Awashima, and I will not tolerate such behavior under my supervision."

Awashima nodded slowly while the pink tint on her cheeks slowly flooded over her face, "And the others, sir?"

"Ah yes," He turned to the still silent audience and offered a smile, "This concludes the tour for this evening. These men escort you all out," His eyes flickered to the woman beside him, "I hope your visit here was insightful and that your faith in us to protect this great nation has bolstered."

As if on cue, three soldiers stepped forward and ushered everyone out. There were two others who had gone to pick up the sad fool on the floor and also carried him out, leaving the Blue King to stand there with a still quiet Awashima.

"Sir..." She looked up at him, "Was that how you anticipated this would go?"

"Not entirely," He admitted, "However, I will admit to the disrespect getting under my skin. Perhaps I need to spend more time relaxing so this does not happen again." 

She looked up at him, "I'm used to it, sir."

"You shouldn't be," He walked forward and stood in front of her, "Allow me to make this up to you, since it was I who put this burden on your shoulders to guide the tour."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that, sir?" Her brow rose.

Munakata's lips pulled into a smile, "What would you say to a few days off?"


	6. CH VI - Rikio Kamamoto (I) - Unexpected Reunions

Yata groaned loudly as Kamamoto returned to his post, having left the young vanguard by himself to go run some "personal errands" only to have a bag of snacks cradled in his arms. The fiery skateboarder glared and pointed at the larger individual with an accusatory sneer on his face.

"You fucking fatty, you lie when you said you had some personal shit to take care of!" Yata barked, "You just wanted to go get some more junk to shove down your throat but couldn't think of an excuse, could you?!"

Kamamoto glared from behind his shades, "Shut the hell up Yata, I actually _did_ have stuff to take care of," He stopped when he was a few feet away from the loud vanguard, "I met up with an old friend and she gave me these–"

"Wait, WOAH!" Yata shook his head, " _She_?! You mean you actually have female friends aside from your fan club that only visits when you get anorexic in the summer!"

Kamamoto scoffed, "That's not fair to say, Yata!" He huffed, "Besides, of course, she'd be my friend. She's my girlfriend, after all."

Yata's jaw went slack and the words he had prepared to say completely evaporated.

_GIRLFRIEND?!_

"You're looking at me as if you're shocked, or something."

Yata gave his head a shake, "What the hell?! How the fuck do you have a girlfriend?!"

"Want me to start from the beginning?" Kamamoto grinned as he dug into his package and produced what looked like a homemade chocolate chip cookie.

When Yata nodded eagerly, Kamamoto quickly finished off the delicious baked good and began his story.

**\- x -  
**

_Four hours earlier that day..._

"Man, if Yata knows that I'm slacking off he'll kick my ass into next year," Kamamoto sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "That kid is going to be the death of me one of these days."

"What kid?"

Kamamoto looked forward to see a familiar smiling face walking towards him.

She was wearing a light blue sundress that reached just above her knee and left her shoulders exposed to the mercy of her long brown hair that danced off her skin while she moved. She was a rather normal size for Japan's standards but wasn't very tall and had a beautiful round face. Her dark brown eyes were soft when she'd spotted him, and quickly she had made her way over to him.

"I was just going to visit your grandmother in the hospital to bring her these," She held up the bag for Kamamoto to inspect, "I figured she'd miss that kitchen of her's so much that I decided to make her a bunch of baked goods and whatnot."

Kamamoto smiled brightly, "Really? Well, I was headed there too so why don't I carry that and walk with you?"

"Sure!" She gave him a beautiful closed-eyed smile and handed him the package, "I hope I didn't catch you while you were busy?"

"No, not at all," He began walking with her, not minding in the least when her hand gently took his and laced their fingers together, "Actually, it's you that I should be questioning. You sure you want to be seen around town with me? I'm wearing my HOMRA jacket today."

She gave him a droll look, "Do you honestly think I care what people think when they see a poor, innocent young lady walking beside a big, bad gang member?"

"Oh, I know you give no fucks," He chuckled loudly as she grinned and nodded, closing the distance between the two by hugging his arm gently with her free hand, "What all were you doing today, Meira?"

"Nothing in particular, and since my mother didn't need help in the shop I figured I'd go visit your grandmother," Meira looked forward as they made their way up the sidewalk just before the gates to the hospital, "I figured since it's been two weeks since I was able to go see her that I was due for a visit."

"Only two weeks?" Kamamoto looked down at her, "You're doing better than me. We've been so busy trying to catch some asshole that's dealing drugs on our turf that we haven't been able to breathe for months."

Meira frowned, "You're being overworked?" Suddenly an innocent smile began to creep on her face, "Should I go to that bar and personally tell your boss that you need some more time to spend with your family?"

"Nah, wouldn't do you much good," He chuckled, "You'd probably get a crazy look and then get trapped by Tatara and forced to sit down and listen to him go on and on about bonsai. Then again, you may have more luck with the boss's lady. She's a real softy."

Meira giggled, "I suppose."

The two soon made their way into the hospital and quickly hopped into an elevator that led them to the third floor. Once the doors opened, Kamamoto and Meira walked to the private room down one of the halls and walked in with bright smiles.

"Ah!" The elder woman looked up from her book and set it aside immediately, "How lovely to see you both!"

Kamamoto grinned and walked over, "Good to see you too, gran'!" He set the package down on a small table beside her bed, "How are you feeling?"

She looked at the package before looking at her grandson, "The doctor said I'll be good to head back home in a week," She sighed in relief at her own words, "Which is a relief! I don't think I could stand this hospital food for another month!"

"Which is why I baked you some of your favorites!" Meira grinned brightly.

The elder woman looked at Meira as if she were a lifesaver, "You're an angel."

Meira giggled and took her usual spot at the end of the woman's bed while Kamamoto pulled up a chair.

"Tell me Rikio, how has work been?" The woman looked at her grandson with a knowing look, "Don't worry, you can talk freely. The nurses don't come by until lunch, so you have two hours of freedom."

He grinned, "Well, it's been hellish. We're chasing a drug dealer who has been dealing on our turf and we have to catch him before one of our guys gets killed."

"Sounds like fun," She said with a placid tone, "Have you been keeping a healthy diet or have you only had time for the quick fix?"

Kamamoto frowned, "Quick fix, although I do miss a damned good home cooked meal."

"You'll have to come and visit!" Meira pouted, "I could always bring up that idea again and go see your boss!"

Gran' smiled at the two, "I'm so glad you two are here," They both looked at her, "It's been a long time since I've seen you both look so happy. Rikio, you really must ask for some personal time."

"I can try," He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, "But I don't know how the boss will think about that."

**\- x -  
**

Kamamoto looked down at Meira while they walked together hand-in-hand, "Where else did you need to go today?"

"I was just going to head to the shop quickly to pick something up," She smiled up at him, "If you're not too busy, would you like me to make you lunch?"

His stomach growled the answer and he almost groaned at the thought of Meira's amazing cooking, "I'll take Yata's shit for being late, but it'll be so worth it."

"You big goof," Meira giggled and lead him into the shop and headed towards the back door that led into the family kitchen, "I have some cookies left over from your grandmother's package. Would you like some to take with you?"

"Sure!" He grinned brightly as he took his usual spot on a stool on the other side of the island and watched as she gathered ingredients for their lunch, "What are you making?"

"Your favorite, of course!" Meira said with a wink.

Kamamoto sighed, "Ah, I knew you were the perfect women when I met you."

She giggled and prepared the entire meal, "You know, when we first met, I may have been a little insulted by that but now that I know you," She looked at him with _that smile_ that made his tummy do somersaults, "I know that's one of the biggest compliments I could ever receive from you."

Kamamoto got up and walked around the island so that he was now in front of Meira, "Well," He reached over and pulled her against him gently, "How can I not say that? I really do have the perfect woman."

"You're such a lush, you know that?" She reached up and circled her arms around his neck, "A romantic, adorable lush."

Leaning down, Kamamoto pressed his lips to Meira's in a very gentle kiss. Their lips moved together and as she tilted her head to the side, his tongue slipped out to coax her into a more passionate sharing (to which she complied immediately). She gave a soft sigh and melted against him, allowing him to take complete control and devour her entirely.

It lasted for five delightful minutes until the oven timer dinged, causing the two to break away and see to dinner being dished out and enjoyed.

During the entire meal, both had bright smiles on their faces and completely basked in each other's company.

**\- x -  
**

Yata stared at his partner with an unbelieving stare, "Really? Okay, you may have had me convinced up until the part where you two made out in her kitchen while the food was cooking."

"It really happened, Yata!" Kamamoto defended, "What's so hard to believe that she actually does exist and loves me?!"

"If _I_ can't get a girl, neither can you."

Kamamoto scoffed, "The only reason you can't get a girl is that you're petrified of them," He continued to munch on his cookies, "If you'd actually be willing to talk to one, you'd have better luck."

Yata scoffed and crossed his arms, "Shut up..."

"Rikio!"

Both boys turned around to see a young woman in a blue sundress running up to them, stopping close by to catch her breath.

"Thank goodness I caught you," She sighed deeply and stood up straight, "You forgot this in the kitchen!"

Meira held out Kamamoto's PDA to him.

"Oh shit!" Kamamoto took it and pocketed it quickly, "Thanks, Meira! Kusanagi would have kicked my ass around town if I had of gone back to the bar without that."

Meira grinned, "No problem, love!"

Yata, who had been standing there silently watching, stood there with his jaw dropped and eyes wide.

"You mean..." Meira turned to look at Yata, "She's _real_?!"

Kamamoto sighed, "Of course she's real! I just got done telling you that!"

"Is this your partner, Rikio?" Meira stepped forward to better assess Yata, who at her closeness felt his cheeks burn, "My name is Meira! I've been Rikio's girlfriend now for over a year."

Yata continued to stare but slowly nodded, "Yatagarasu... But just call me Yata..."

"Nice to meet you!" She smiled.

Kamamoto stood behind her smiling proudly and slung his arm around her shoulders, "Why don't you come and meet everyone, seeing as how you're already halfway to the bar now?"

Meira nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, "Sure!"

Yata watched the two and sighed.

It was going to be a long day now, even before all of the shit went down.


	7. CH VII - Akiyama and Domyouji - Five Reasons Why Women Are Scary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domyouji's a little dramatic in this, but I also think his character would be the dramatic one if we saw a lot more of him in the series. ;)

"Alright," Domyouji walked over to a quiet Akiyama, who sat at a table by himself during their short lunch period, "So, it took a while, but I was able to write a list as to why women are scary creatures."

Akiyama's brow rose, "And why would you feel the need to write such a thing?"

"The new girl scares me," Domyouji admitted with a sheepish smile, "She's just like lieutenant Awashima! Absolutely beautiful, but terrifying! The girl is like another one of Seri!"

"So you created this list because of one woman?" Akiyama narrowed his eyes, "Isn't that a little prejudice against her?"

"No!" Domyouji frowned, "Not at all, just hear me out!"

The darker haired boy shook his head with a sigh, "Well, I suppose you're going to tell me what this list of you is even if I don't wish to know?"

"Of course!" The orange haired soldier grinned and produced a folded piece of paper from the depths of his uniform.

Akiyama watched him and picked at his food while the other man began speaking. 

"First reason," Domyouji began, much like he was reciting something in front of a major audience, "They have a superior ability to command attention from the opposite sex!"

"What's so frightening about that?" Akiyama's brow rose once again, "Lieutenant Awashima and Miss Totchikawa both have higher positions than most of us, so it would be obvious that they would command more attention."

"No, no, no! You don't get it!" Domyouji waved his hands dramatically in front of him, "I mean _other than_ those two! Think outside of work, Akiyama!"

The elder of the two gave a soft sigh, "Fine, continue."

"Thanks!" Domyouji grinned before reading off another tick from his list, "Reason number two is that women who band together are stronger than even the mafia themselves!"

Akiyama snorted, "I doubt that."

"You don't have much experience with women, do you?" Domyouji eyed him suspiciously with a grin.

Akiyama glared at him, "Of course I have experience with women."

"Then you shouldn't be so surprised by this!" The younger of the two flared, "Women are like a pack of wolves! You see them crowding together like wild animals and when they strike, they strike as one!"

"This is ridiculous," Akiyama muttered and stood up, "We're done. Go bother someone else."

"But I haven't finished my list yet!" Came the whined response.

Akiyama grunted and began walking away, only to hear the footsteps of his partner fast approaching.

"Reason number three," Domyouji continued without Akiyama's regard, "They are mysterious, majestic creatures with minds like they've lived a thousand lives."

Akiyama eyed him, "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Have you ever noticed they have a conversation, both good and bad outcomes, already processed and ready to go before us men can formulate a real response?" Domyouji looked up at him, "That in itself is a terrifying trait."

Akiyama sighed, "That's because women spend more time wonder what their men _aren't_ doing on their own time. Most of the ladies I have encountered are too busy wondering if their partner has been cheating or what he will be delivering to them before their date."

"So harsh~" Domyouji grinned before looking down at his list, "Reason number four, they have no real control over their emotions!"

"Couldn't you categorize that one with the first trait?" Akiyama's brow rose, "Or were you running out of things to put on your ridiculous list?"

Domyouji shook his head, "Not at all!" He continued to walk in pace beside his partner and looked up at him, "Women tend to feed off each other's emotions, and heaven forbid they fight with their man! A woman scorned with fury against us lowly males is truly a frightening sight. They almost always win every single argument with their fiery tempers alone!"

"What in the hell are you two talking about?"

Both turned to see Fushimi walking towards them when Domyouji spun on his heel and briskly walked over to the tall commander.

"I have a list of five reasons why women are terrifying creatures."

Fushimi eyed him and then looked at Akiyama, who merely shrugged in reply to his questioning gaze, before turning his attention back to their newest, youngest member of Scepter 4.

"Is that so?" Fushimi snatched the page from the orange haired man who gave a flustered cry and quickly scanned over the contents of the page, "These aren't exactly strong points, Domyouji."

"Not all of them, no, but for the most part it's all true!" He defended, "You have experience with women, right?! So even you can attest to some of my points!"

Fushimi rolled his eyes and handed the paper back to him, "Of course I have experience with women. If I didn't, I wouldn't exactly know how to treat my girlfriend right now, would I?"

"You have a girlfriend?!" Domyouji's eyes sparkled, "I always knew our third-in-command was a lady killer like our Blue King!"

Akiyama sighed deeply and slapped his palm to his forehead at the scene, "Sir, shall we return to our posts and continue our work?"

"I'm not a lady killer and I'm certainly not like _him_ ," Fushimi muttered through clenched teeth before brushing past the excited man to his more calm companion, "As you wish, Akiyama. Let's leave him to his own devices."

"But wait!" Domyouji frowned and ran after the two, "You haven't heard the last reason yet!"

"And we're not interested," Akiyama quickly responded.

Not taking his quick and blunt answer to heart, Domyouji held up his paper and prepared to read off the last tick. Unknown to him, the two in front strained to hear what he had to say, however, their pride kept them from turning around to show their interest.

"Reason number five," Domyouji began, "This being the most important reason of all..."

Both Akiyama and Fushimi tensed as they waited for the man behind them to finally reveal the last point.

"Women who are the most silent, closed off and keep to themselves, are the ones to be feared."

Both Akiyama and Fushimi twitched at his obvious statement.

Akiyama was the first to turn and face Domyouji, "Did you even consider thinking up any real reasons why females are terrifying? All you've done is point out the obvious that separates them from men, nothing else."

"But these are all true!" Domyouji frowned, "How could you be so cruel, Akiyama?"

"Easy," He narrowed his eyes.

"What seems to be the problem, boys?"

Three sets of eyes landed on a shorter, petite woman who had her arms folded neatly underneath her rather large bust (seems to be a trend with women in Scepter 4), "Well?"

"Ahh, Miss Totchikawa!" Domyouji smiled and bowed politely, "Have you been here for long?"

"Long enough to know what you boys are talking about?" She offered them a smile and stepped forward, "Perhaps asking a female directly instead of listing off ridiculous reasons to why my sex is so scary to you?"

"You would actually answer my questions?" Domyouji's eyes went wide and the smile on his face grew.

_TH-WACK._

Totchikawa's fist landed on top of Domyouji's head as she grinned, "No, but now at least you have your answer!"


	8. CH VIII - Mikoto Suoh (I) - Abnormal Behavior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I did a major edit to this one. The original was a lot more choppy and out of place than this one, and I'm much happier with the way this one turned out. I also wrote this extremely fast due to the excitement with writing about my favorite K character, and I wrote it in 2016... I've improved a lot since then, which comes from reluctantly attending Arts/English classes in university _that they force you to do since they know not everyone would want to take them, especially for people like me who are Biochemistry majors_. *ahem*
> 
> Anyways, the point is that I'm much more pleased with this version! :)
> 
> Also: Warning, warning! Sexy time in this chapter!

_Mikoto's breath was raw with lust as he continued to dance a very heated, passionate dance with the woman writhing underneath him. With every powerful thrust, it was as if he could practically feel every fiber of her being. The noises she was making only escalated his libido and caused him to slam into her mercilessly, leaving her open-mouthed and begging for more._

_His smirked down at her and leaned forward, not close enough for their skin to touch but close enough that he could see directly into her eyes, "Do you want more?"_

_Her brown eyes looked up at him as she reached up to grasp his fiery tresses before pulling him down for a searing kiss that was answer enough for him._

. . .

Mikoto shot up from his mattress as he clenched the bed sheets tightly in his sweaty palms. He took a moment to regain his erratic breathing, slowly pulling himself up from the bed and walked over to the door leading to his attached bathroom, promptly throwing it open. With a sigh, Mikoto stripped his now soaked shirt from his body and kicked off his pants before turning the water on. At first, he turned the tap to his normal boiling hot temperature but then decided against it as his groin twitched at the still vivid memories of the same mysterious woman always writhing underneath him. With the echo of her screaming his name in pleasure still fresh in his mind, he grunted and turned the tap all the way to the cold side before hopping in.

He used his hands to brace against the wall as the icy water beat down his head and back, drowning the heat rushing through his veins, not daring to close his eyes in fear of seeing her face once more.

"Ten days," Mikoto muttered to himself, "Ten days and I still don't know why I'm seeing her."

Once he was finished, he pulled a clean white shirt over his head and pulled on his usual black jeans before heading downstairs to the main bar area to get a drink. There was still a few hours before anybody would be awake in the living quarters, so he would enjoy the silence and be able to process his thoughts in peace.

It almost worried the Red King, how vividly he could recall every single detail of the woman from his dream.

She had long legs that would wrap around him when he commanded it, leading up to a flat stomach and hourglass figure that would be ever so tantalizing for his eyes only to rake over. He could even visualize how perfect her breasts fit into the palms of his hands or how delicious her skin tasted while he ran his tongue down her body towards the place he knew would make her squirm with delight. Those long, slender arms of hers would wrap around his shoulders and with every move, he could feel the tips of her fingers digging into his back as she mewled with every touch or twitch of his body against her own. Her long brown hair would spill out over the pillows while he pounded her into the mattress, making a halo of brunette fan out around her head. The smile that she would send him after their few minutes of solace in between each round would send shivers up his spine. When he would reach out to stroke her cheek, her eyes would close as she savored his touch.

He could recall all of those details down to the shivers that ran over her skin when he would brush his fingertips against her teasingly, or how she would shudder in pleasure when his lips would kiss her neck while his digits probed her inner walls.

Every hair on her head, every breath that she inhaled and exhaled, every movement and every bat of her lashes... He could recall it all in such detail, it was as if it were all real.

"Damn it," Mikoto grunted and quickly sank back a hefty shot of Kusanagi's strongest liquor before trudging back up the stairs to grab his jacket, feeling as though the cool air of the night would help battle his already half-erected anatomy.

\- x -

Mikoto was met with a cool breeze as he walked out of the bar and made his way down the street, not entirely sure of where his feet were leading him but with a freshly lit cigarette between his lips, he went on autopilot.

Eventually, the Red King found himself in front of a building that looked run down and as if it were about to be closed and condemned. The gates were half open due to the fact the hinges were rusted beyond repair, and the walkway was overgrown with weeds and illegal plants that Mikoto made sure to destroy with his flames as his feet carried him up to the steps and straight into the main lobby.

"So much for this being a secure building," His brow rose at how easily he had entered despite not having a key to get in, shrugged it off and continued his journey inside.

As if he knew exactly where he was going, he ended up on the third floor and in front of the thirty-fourth door on the right side of the hall. His brows furrowed as he stood there and just stared at the stained, dirty dark plywood door and wondered what was waiting for him on the other side. There was no movement that he could hear coming from inside, so he reached for the handle and gave it a twist, mildly surprised when the door opened without resistance.

Mikoto's brows furrowed even more. What the hell was going on?

When he stepped passed the door and slowly closed it behind him, he surveyed the area and felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. Had he been here before?

The carpets, albeit musty smelling, were clean and free of debris. There was a small sofa that looked as though it cost the owner quite a penny at the time it was purchased, as well as the stand the fairly decent sized flat screen television against the far wall. Aside from that, there was nothing in the living room, not even a table. A spot that was somewhat concave in the couch made Mikoto narrow his eyes as if he knew it was there and that he was the cause of it.

With further inspection, the kitchen had simple decor with just a small table with two chairs and just a microwave sitting on the counter. Deciding to look around the rooms, Mikoto made his way down the small hall leading towards what he assumed was the master bedroom, not bothering to stop to inspect the bathroom and slowly, cautiously, stepped into the darkness.

Much like his dream, the bedroom was large and dark with black curtains that were too long and crumpled at the ends on the floor. There were two small upright dressers set beside a double closet and an armoire with a smaller flat screen television seated on top of it closest to the window. In the middle of the room up against the wall by the door, the queen-size bed and was dressed with a wine colored comforter and matching pillows that were scattered up against the headboard.

His eyes wandered over the expanse of wine colored bedding until his amber orbs stopped at a sleeping figure nestled against two pillows with her brunette hair fanned out around her and cascaded down her back. His eyes trailed down the curve of her uncovered spine until they stopped where the blankets covered just above her bum, making the Red King groan inwardly. He could hear each breath she took in her deep slumber, making Mikoto's fingers twitch in his pockets the longer he stood there. He wanted so badly to crawl into bed with her and to touch her skin, but he used all of his will power to avoid doing so in case she woke up to a stranger in her bed.

Were they strangers?

Why did he remember her, or even where she lived and what apartment was hers?

Why did he feel a sense of comfort when he walked in, or how this calm feeling in his chest soothed his flames while he watched the sleeping girl on her bed?

None of what was going on made sense and was beginning to give Mikoto a wicked migraine.

Her shifting against the sheets and rolling over onto her back broke him out of his inner turmoil, only to cause more of an issue growing rapidly in his pants as her now exposed upper body was all for him to view.

What in the hell was the matter with him?

Mikoto gave his head a shake and grunted, lifting a hand up to fun his fingers through his wild fiery locks, "This has to be a dream..." He muttered to himself but was cut off at more shuffling on the bed, only to notice the girl was now sitting upright and staring straight at him, "..."

"Mikoto?" She rubbed her eyes for a moment to try and help them adjust before reaching for the lamp just off to the side on a small end table nestled beside the bed, "What are you doing here so late? Couldn't sleep?"

How in the hell did she know who he was?

Mikoto's brows furrowed, "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do," She smiled and tossed the covers off her legs so she could swing them off the side of the bed, only adding more frustration to the King, "Are you okay? You look a little disoriented."

Mikoto's eyes locked onto the petite pair of lacy black panties she wore as she walked up to him, reaching up to place a hand gently against his cheek, "I'm fine... I think?"

"You haven't been yourself lately," She frowned and used her thumb to caress the apple of his cheek in a soothing manner, "Is everything okay back at the bar?"

So, she knew about HOMRA?

"Do I know you?" Mikoto asked bluntly, noticing the way her thumb halted its movement and the way her brows furrowed while she looked up at him, "Because if I do, I sure as fuck can't remember your name."

The brunette frowned and slowly pulled her hand away as her brow rose, "You don't know who I am?" There a brief pause before she giggled and looked up at him as if he were joking with her, "Have you been drinking, Mikoto?" 

When the humor didn't show on his face and all she could see was confusion and seriousness about his lack of knowledge on the situation, he could see an obvious sadness take over her eyes as she looked away from him.

"How could you forget your own girlfriend, silly?"

 _Girlfriend?_ Mikoto's brows furrowed deeply, "You're my girlfriend?"

"Yes," Her breath caught in her throat as she walked past him towards one of the dressers, to which Mikoto's fought with his entire being to keep his eyes on her face, "This was taken a little over a week ago when Tatara had a birthday party for one of the boys, Eric. He asked me to help him bake the cake, remember?"

She returned to his side and held out a photo for him to take and inspect, which he did, and watched him closely as his eyes devoured the entire sight.

Mikoto scowled, "Damn, why can't I remember this?" His eyes found her smiling face as she leaned into him while he had his arm draped over her shoulders and looked more content than he normally did, "Are you sure this was a week ago?"

"Positive," Her frown deepened, "You honestly can't remember?"

He shook his head and handed back the picture, "No, I can't."

"How did you end up here if you don't remember who I am?" She took it back and merely set it down on the side of her bed before looking up at him with sad eyes, "You said you don't remember my name?"

Mikoto wanted to assure her that he knew who she was and to say her name, but he simply couldn't. When he closed his eyes to try and pull her name from the recesses of his mind, there was a blank.

"Kaori," She couldn't pull her eyes away from him, "Kaori Watari. Mikoto, we've been together for almost eight years now. You asked me to be your girlfriend back when we were in high school, right before you, Izumo, and Tatara started HOMRA."

He looked at her slowly, "... Is that so?" Once again his amber eyes closed, "I honestly don't remember anything."

He could hear her breath hitch at his words and practically felt her entire body tense.

Suddenly, a rush of vivid images flew through his mind and once again, he saw her underneath him gasping for breath while he fulfilled her need and his own.

"Mikoto," His eyes opened quickly and locked onto her own, "Has something happened out of the ordinary in the last little while?"

He took a moment to contemplate her words, "Now that you mention it, one of the boys brought a strain to the bar..."

Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose much like he did when he was deep in thought, he stood there silently as he tried to recall anything that he could remember from the past week. He felt her brown orbs pouring into him as he stood there, when abruptly, he felt a jolt in his temples and suddenly, everything made sense. He recalled exactly ten days ago when these vivid, sexual dreams of his had begun that the strain he'd mentioned before sat down and stared at him before her eyes changed colors, and that was when his mind went foggy and his memory of Kaori seemed to vanish.

For the unrelenting frustration he'd been subjected to, Mikoto was going to kill that damned strain when he found her again for messing with his mind, that was for certain.

She stepped back as she watched his aura flare for a moment, "Mikoto?"

"Hm?" His eyes opened to see Kaori standing in front of him with a concerned look.

"Your aura," She motioned to his flames, "It just appeared and then vanished."

He looked down at himself for a moment before looking at her, taking a few slow steps forward before he had her back up until the backs of her knees hit the side of the bed.

"Mikoto?" She felt her cheeks heat up at the stare he was giving her, "What are you doing?"

She saw the corner of his lips twitch up in a smirk as he leaned down, "I seem to have recalled some of my lost memories," He watched her drop down at his closeness and caged her between his arms as his hands hit the mattress.

Her stomach dropped as the heat immediately pooled in the pits of her stomach, "You remember me now? That was quick."

"Mm," He gave her a full smirk as he leaned down and claimed her lips in a lustful kiss, "Do you realize the torture I've been going through for those ten damn days that I couldn't remember anything?" Her body moved back as he crawled up on the bed after her like a predator, "All I could see every time I closed my eyes was you underneath me, screaming out my name. Pure, goddamn torture."

Kaori bit her bottom lip and felt a familiar tingle in her lower abdomen as her mind flooded with a foggy haze that brought a lustful hand to grip her senses, "What brought you back?" 

"I'll tell you about it after," He grunted. 

Mikoto was quick to dive in and claim her lips once more only with more passion and aggression, feeling his own throbbing need strain against his pants. It felt incredible to finally feel her flesh against his own, and for her to feel his heat against her like a comforting sun that would not burn her once again.

His shirt was first to go in rapid succession, much like his leather jacket that had been tossed long before he had her pinned down against her pillows with his mouth latched to her neck. She gasped loudly as his teeth nipped at her tender skin, marking his way down her collar bone and made his way to the valley of her breasts.

"It's quite convenient that you're topless," Mikoto's breath brushed against her already hardened nub teasingly while his amber pools locked onto her own brown ones, "I didn't think you ever slept naked unless I was with you."

Kaori blushed, "It was warm in the room tonight," She defended, but felt her defiance crumble when his lips locked onto the sensitive peak of her right breast, causing a cry of pleasure to rip from her throat, " _Mikoto_!"

He hummed against her and smirked, bringing a hand up to massage her unattended mound with a pleased mewl from above him. She brought her hands up to grasp his hair gently and arched her back up as he continued his ministrations, only breaking away to switch positions until finally he felt her shudder from beneath him and considered that her silent plea for him to begin wandering down south.

"Eager, are we?" Mikoto pulled away and crawled up to claim her lips in a rough kiss, "Want me to make you feel good, my Queen?"

Kaori bit her lip and nodded slowly, her body tingling under his lustful amber orbs.

Mikoto smirked and reached down to unbuckle his belt before picking his pants off but left his boxers still clinging to his waist, "As you wish."

Kaori squirmed in delight as his lips trailed farther and farther down, passing her breasts with an innocent nip to each fleshy mound until he stopped at the hem of her last layer. Despite the fact he thought the idea of her wearing a pair of lacy underwear was an extreme turn on, it was the furthest thing from his mind when he sat up, using both hands to prop her hips up.

"What are you–?" Kaori began but gave an indignant yell when Mikoto's hands went up in quick flames and made fast work of obliterating her garment with ease, "Mikoto! Those were my favorite!"

He cast her a droll look, "It's just underwear."

"This is why I can't have nice things," Kaori muttered to herself, adding a pitiful huff for emphasis.

The lost garment was quickly forgotten when her hips fell back to the mattress and Mikoto dived after her, landing in between her legs and kissing from her left knee all the way up to his mark.

His eyes flickered up to her own and he gave her a cocky smirk, "Are you ready to scream my name? I hope so because it's going to be a long night for the both of us," She bit her lip hard enough to break the skin as she watched him, only able to nod before he dived down claiming his prize, causing her to gasp loudly and grip the bed sheets tightly.

"Oh, _god_ _-_!" Her back arched as she moaned his name out in pleasure. 

Mikoto was relentless as he pleasured her, letting the metaphorical animal peek out of its cage to release some of the pent up sexual frustration that he'd been succumbed to for the days he'd spent apart from her. He gave an equal amount of licking and sucking, making sure to relish the spasms he caused her with each motion he took while stealing a glance at her flushed face. He grinned, noting how she seemed to never catch her breath while he pleased her, or how her eyes were glued shut while her hands remained clenched around handfuls of bedding.

Deciding to savor the moment rather than push her to orgasm so soon, Mikoto pulled himself away before crawling up her body again, "You must be out of practice," He teased as he grinned down at her, "You're usually not this fallen apart so early on." 

Kaori was catching her breath as she half-heartedly glared up at him, "Well, I haven't seen you in over a week..." 

"I know, and I'm making up for lost time now," Mikoto wiped his mouth off his bicep before leaning down to kiss a path along her neck, "I plan on making it difficult for you to move for the next couple of days."

"Oou, planning on keeping me company at least?" Kaori grinned as she lifted her legs up to wrap around his waist.

Mikoto smirked against her neck before making eye contact with her, "That was the plan." 


	9. CH IX - Reisi Munakata (I) - Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, it's no secret that Munakata is not one of my favorites, but according to readers from back in 2016, I have done a decent job at capturing his character in the select chapters I write for him and this femaleOC. Let's see what you new readers think.

She ran faster and faster, ignoring the voices behind her as her heart pumped fast in her chest. Her legs were past the point of burning due to the speed she continued to push herself, but she ignored it as well. She had to escape those people pursuing her, but she was running out of options. Quickly, her pale blue eyes searched for some sort of safe spot, noticing she was closing in on an alleyway and skid to a quick stop before hurdling her body forward.

"Stop her!" Voices yelled.

She continued rushing through the tight alleyway and went with every twist and turn it offered her until she finally hit a dead end. _Damn it!_ She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, her head rapidly shooting from side to side in order to find some sort of object to hide behind and saw a few large garbage cans. Rushing towards them, she tossed one of the lids off and was about to get in it when the sound of footsteps at the other end of the alley stopped her in her tracks.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

Pale blues wandered over to see a tall man with a long blue coat, saber attached to his hip and an authoritative presence surrounding him. Her eyes traveled to his face and noted the sharp azure eyes staring at her from behind glasses with silver half-frames, and immediately she recognized him.

"Captain Reisi Munakata of Scepter 4... the Blue King," She murmured, earning an amused grin from the man, "How endearing you are to come and see me in my dingy alleyway."

"I was under the impression those men chasing you were causing you trouble, so forgive me for overstepping my boundaries," He mused, reaching up to fiddle with his spectacles, "Seeing as how you already know my name, it seems introductions are in order on your end."

Her eyes narrowed, "It would only be fair, wouldn't it? However, I don't plan on playing along with your little game. You hunt my kind, and I don't plan on surrendering willingly."

"Ah, so my deductions were correct," He stepped forward, "You are a strain, or at least, partial."

"Partial," She confirmed, "Why does it matter to you? You're going to mock me, corner me so I have nowhere to run and then end me. It's what you Blue's do."

Munakata chuckled, "You have a fairly brutal misconception about my clansmen, Miss...?"

"Eri," She stood square and faced him, "Eri Chiharu."

The usually composed individual froze in his steps at the sound of her surname, "Chiharu, you say? How convenient that I've found you before any other clans."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She narrowed her eyes, "I know I'm being hunted, but you don't have to bring your petty clan problems into my own issues."

"You have a rather unique biological makeup and you aren't even aware of it, are you?" Munakata closed the distance and remained a mere five feet away from her, "Yes, you may be a partial strain, but that doesn't cloak the other traits you have nor does it change the fact that you are an amplifier sought out by almost every one of the King's in Japan."

"What are you talking about?" Her brows furrowed, "I'm not an amplifier."

"Oh, but you are," His lips pulled into a smirk, "I've personally done some digging into your history and have discovered that you and your mother before you, have the seven aura's of all the King's stored into your genes, but it remains colorless until an external force changes it."

She bristled at this, "You researched me?!"

"It was all out of curiosity," Munakata brought his hands behind his back and stood in a casual pose to show her that he meant no harm, "Do you know what happens when your body comes into contact with a King's aura?"

A vivid memory flashed through her mind quickly when her mother had been touched by the Black King before he was killed and forgotten, watching her entire being become engulfed in a black aura that consumed her entire soul.

She gave her head a quick shake before glaring up at him, "I won't let you do that to me, Munakata. I'm not going to be consumed by any of the Kings!"

"You misunderstand," He watched her closely, "I assume that watching the former Black King, one of the more violent of the seven, steal your mother's freedom is still scarred into your memory? I can assure you, it's a more emotional, sensual, _intimate_ connection than the others may believe. I don't intend to force you into such a union, simply, I would like to ask for you to come willingly and cooperate with me until I can promise your safety from the other clans."

"Why would you do this for me?" Eri's brows furrowed, "You don't know who I really am... All you know if what you've read."

Munakata smiled, "Why would I let such a powerful woman escape out from under my radar? You could face the same fate as your mother, or you could come into contact with the Red King Mikoto Suoh and his clan. It would be a shame for a woman such as yourself to go to waste on a pack of thugs who chase after gang banger's, even if their King already has a partner."

"In other words, you want me to be a pawn on your chess board," Eri glared, "Stop trying to paint over your real intentions with pretty words, Munakata."

"Would you rather I allow the Green Clan catch you?" His brow rose, "Those Green clansmen that we caught before they cornered you here seemed extremely eager to get their hands on you."

Eri scowled and clenched her fists, "Shut up..."

"So, would this be your answer?" His brow rose but the smirk tugging across his lips was obvious, "I can assure you that you will have your own private quarters and be allowed more freedom in Scepter 4 than you believe you will."

Munakata reached out to offer her hand but halted his movement, "Excuse me," Motioning for her to follow him, he turned and saw Fushimi standing by the corner, "Ah, Mister Fushimi. Would you care to escort our new guest back to headquarters? Miss Awashima will be in charge of her once we arrive."

Eri looked over to see a scowling young male who stepped into view and frowned as he gave her a full once over before clicking his tongue in annoyance, "Fine. Come on."

"Forgive him," Munakata looked down at her once she stepped closer to the two, "Fushimi has a hard time expressing emotion, so he chooses to stick to himself."

"He looks like a bundle of laughs," Eri narrowed her eyes at the way he shifted, knowing he heard her comment, "I'm assuming Awashima is a woman?"

Munakata noticed a pull at his own aura when she had to step closer to him in order to pass by him, feeling a shuddering rush down his spine at her closeness. She too froze in her steps and looked back over her shoulder to see Munakata's blue flame spiking out around his body.

"Is this what you meant by a connection?" Eri's voice was low as a whisper.

Munakata looked at her, ignoring the way Fushimi stopped and glanced back at the two to listen to their private conversation, "Somewhat. Introduce enough stimuli and your aura, the incomplete one, would attach itself to the closest King."

He excused himself and passed by her briskly, ignoring the second tug for his aura to consume her as an ache slowly crawled into his chest. He willed it back and brushed past Fushimi in silence, leaving his younger commander to watch him curiously before turning to face a silent Eri, who had been watching the Blue King's retreat as well.

"Let me get to the point," Fushimi eyed her cautiously, "I want to know what exactly who you are, and you will answer me."

Eri regarded him with a callous glare before sighing in defeat at his stone cold eyes staring right back at her, "My name is Eri Chiharu, and according to your commanding officer, I'm an amplifier of some sort."

Fushimi froze, "Chiharu... That's impossible."

"Not really," Eri pulled the collar of her shirt down the middle to show her family's symbol engraved into the flesh starting at the valley of her breasts, "I'm the last survivor."

"Unbelievable," Fushimi snarled and turned on his heel seemingly more angered than before, "Come on."

\- x -

"These are the women's dorms," Awashima looked at her as they walked down the empty halls, "You and I are the only two that will be living here, so feel free to explore. If you have any questions, you can come and see me at any time."

Eri looked up at the busty lieutenant, "Thank you..."

Upon arrival, Eri hadn't realized how many cheerful, happy people were here in Scepter 4. She had previous opinions about them all that matched them closely with her dear escort Saruhiko Fushimi, only to be greeted with friendly smiles when she walked through the doors. She became quickly acquainted with several of the special unit members and then the infamous Seri Awashima, who turned out to be rather sweet once she was one-on-one.

"Anytime," Awashima smiled softly, "This is your room," She motioned to the door, "My room is down the hall to your left."

Eri nodded and waved as she walked off before turning to the door. When she got inside, she noticed that it was very similar to what dormitory would be in a university setting, already feeling somewhat endeared by the room. She quickly busied herself with placing things in what she felt was an appropriate setting and then made her way to where the baths were.

"Oh, my," Eri sighed deeply and closed her eyes simply enjoying the hot water against her fingers as the tub filled, "This is going to be heaven... I can't even remember the last time I had a hot bath."

Slipping into the hot liquid, she felt every nerve of her body ring with delight and felt her entire body go slack once she was fully sheathed in the tub. Sighing in contentment, she leaned back and closed her eyes with a small smile. It was nice and peaceful, something Eri hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Well, I see you're making yourself at home," Awashima's voice caused Eri's eyes to open as she looked over to see the lieutenant's smiling face, "I'm glad to that you are finally becoming comfortable here."

Eri returned her smile with her own small one, "I'm trying," She admitted, slowly pulling her legs to her chest, "It's been such a long time since my mother was taken from me, that I'd almost forgotten that people can actually show kindness."

"The captain is a good man, Eri," Awashima insisted, "He may be dedicated to his job, but he is also a good person that wishes to have emotional connections to people."

Pale blues regarded the slender lieutenant for a moment before looking at the cooling water of her bath, "He's the Blue King, so he holds an important title that also brings loneliness. If he accepted the consequences then he realizes that he's not going to be open to a real relationship with either his colleagues or a lover."

"You may be correct, but he has potential to change the way the stereotypical King behaves," Awashima washes her hair quickly before rinsing it under one of the shower heads, "He spoke of you quite highly, Eri. He told me the importance of your abilities as well as why you are being hunted."

Eri looked up at her for a moment with her brow raising, "He did?"

Awashima nodded, "He told me how powerful you could make a clan, or how dangerous a weapon you could become on your own," She paused to towel dry her hair, "Captain Munakata may be a lot of things, but he is still a man. Perhaps he sees in you what others do not?"

"Honestly, this is a little awkward discussing with you..." Eri felt her cheeks heat up slightly, "I mean... You've always been rumored as his secret lover and all..."

Awashima scoffed, "As if I would become a toy for my commanding officer to play with. To be truthful to you, I'm engaged to a man who does not work for Scepter 4."

"Really?" Eri's pale blues went wide, "Congratulations."

Awashima smiled, "Thank you," She fixed her bath rob around her small frame before taking a seat off to the side of the tub Eri was in and rested her elbow on one of her knees to let her palm cradle her head, "Enough about that, I wish to know what exactly you think of Reisi Munakata."

"Why?" Her brow rose at the question, "Did he say anything?"

"He spoke of when you passed him and his aura grappled onto yours," She paused and thought of how to word what she was about to say, "Munakata said it was one of the most intimate feelings he'd ever experienced."

Eri looked down at her knees and recalled the moment, agreeing with his words and remembered the fluttery feeling that caressed her entire body at a touch of his power. It was as if she had been electrocuted into ecstasy, despite only being a few short seconds.

Truth be told, Eri had experienced feeling another King's aura trap her own once before but it was nothing in comparison to what she'd felt with Reisi Munakata.

"I think you should go and talk to him," Awashima looked right at her, "Let your curiosity get the better of you and let him explain this more to you. If you've only witnessed this connection through forced means before, you probably should know what you'd be getting into if you fell in love with one of the King's and allowed that bond to happen."

"It's got nothing to do with love unfortunately," Eri sighed and got up, wrapping a towel around herself and stepped out of the tub, "My mother always told me that I was doomed like all of the other females in the family, but I never understood any of it until Munakata explained it to me when he revealed that I was some sort of amp for power. I'm not destined to fall in love, Awashima... I'm cursed to be a tool for someone's used."

Awashima shook her head and defended what she had just suggested, "Eri, just go and talk to him."

After the two exited the showers and went their separate ways towards their rooms, Eri continued walking along the hall hugging the rob to her body. All of this talk of being a magnet for aura's or that she could either assist or destroy a clan made her head spin. She continued to walk down the halls in silence until she entered the main building where all of the offices were located.

"Well," She sighed and looked at the double doors leading into what she suspected was Munakata's office, "I've already come this far, so I might as well go in..."

She could hear Awashima's words repeat in her mind as she knocked on the doors, hearing his deep voice beckon her inside almost immediately after. Eri felt her blood run cold and instantly lost the drive that had brought her to the decision to announce her entrance, but slowly opened the door and walked in.

Upon entrance, she felt an unfamiliar tightness well in her stomach at the feel of her aura attempting to reach out for his own but shook it off quickly.

Munakata, who wore a yukata instead of his normal attire, looked up from his computer and offered her a smile, "Ah, Eri. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk," Was the only thing she could reply, "Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," He stood up, closing his laptop at the same time, and motioned to the side of his office where a small furnace and kettle sat, "Would you like some tea?"

She nodded slowly and walked over, sitting on a small cushion a few feet away from him while he prepared the water and a small fire to heat the kettle. He prepared two small teacups and plopped two herbal bags into them before pouring the heated water over them, handing her one of the cups before sipping at his own.

"I hope you've begun to settle in," Munakata began, smiling when Eri nodded, "Excellent. Miss Awashima has been informative and welcoming to you?"

"She's been a wonderful person to be around," Eri admitted, "Actually, she's the reason why I'm here."

"Oh?" His brow rose, "May I ask why?"

She took a moment to gently blow at her tea to help cool it off before taking a sip, "It's about this aura business and what it all means," She held her cup on her lap with both hands and looked down at it, "I've only ever watched it happen once, and it was when my mother was taken and claimed by the Black King by force."

Munakata listened quietly and held his own cup firmly in his hand, ignoring the sensation of his own blue aura wishing to surround her colorless one entirely.

"I meant what I said when I told you it was a more intimate connection than others believe, however, your mother was also an example of another King's greed," Munakata explained, "Eri, I did not provide you with this information to cause a panic or for you to over think things."

"No, but you definitely caused a stir," She muttered before she could even stop herself.

Munakata blinked, "Is that so?"

Eri looked up at him, "You said if I were to even touch a King, that I would be consumed, right?"

"That is correct, however," Munakata reached up to re-position his spectacles on the highest part of the bridge of his nose, "There is a catch."

"Like what?" Eri's brow rose.

She looked up at him to meet his eye and waited patiently for him to explain, watching as he took a long drink of his tea before setting the now empty cup down by his side.

"What I have discovered from my research and from witnessing first hand one of these connections between one of your family members and a King, is that unless it's a bond shared between the two, another King can come and claim this person for themselves," Munakata explained, "However, I've also discovered that there are usually always two with your ability in existence at one time, and they are almost always drawn more closely to a specific clan."

Eri's brows furrowed, "So in other words, if I were to be touched by your aura and I was not... _Destined_ to become a blue, another King could steal me?"

"Something to that effect, yes."

Eri shook her head and sighed, "This is more complicated than it has to be," She set her cup down and rubbed at her temples, "Why me?"

"Why not you?" Munakata retorted, catching her pale blue eyes with his own azure ones, "I believe that you are one of the two that are alive and that you are exactly where you need to be."

"What do you mean?" She frowned slightly.

"I've been thinking about what happened earlier," Munakata stood up and looked down at her for a moment, "I believe you are meant to be a part of the Blue Clan, Eri. It would make sense, seeing how both of our auras have been reacting to one another."

Eri felt her cheeks heat up, "So then, that would mean I would become your lover?"

"If you wished for that, I suppose," Munakata didn't hide the fact that the idea itself brought an amused grin to his face.

Eri stood up and gripped her left arm, "We'll see."

Eri bowed at the waist to Munakata out of politeness before turning to head for the door. She was about to grasp the handle when she felt Munakata come close to her, much to her discomfort.

"Before you leave," She turned to face him and felt her breath hitch at the closeness, "Allow me to escort you back to the woman's dormitory?"

Eri slowly shook her head from one side to the other, "I'm fine... Really."

"Hmm," Munakata considered letting her leave the office wondering when he would get another moment of privacy with her like this again and leaned down, "Very well then."

Her body tensed as his head lowered to the point where his face was close enough to her own that she could feel his breath against her right cheek. All the meanwhile, her body hummed with delight to the point where her knees were weak at the sensation of his aura closing in around her like a comforting blanket. She could feel this man before her far past the touch of flesh, shuddering at the idea that Munakata could be experiencing the same feelings and sense of passion that she was.

To him, her colorless aura opened up to him like a pair of open arms and made it all too enticing even for him to resist.

"Reisi," Eri bit her bottom lip, "What are you doing?"

The sound of his name rolling off her tongue sent a pleasant shiver up his spine, "Testing the boundaries."

Her body jolted at the feel of his lips pressing lightly against her cheek. She could feel the blue fire swell around her in that same comforting heat but it was not enough to consume her.

"Have a good night, Miss Eri," Munakata whispered into her ear before pulling away, only reaching behind her to open the door.

Eri couldn't formulate words after his advance, only being able to blink her eyes and open her mouth to speak, "Y-You, as well..."


	10. CH X - Yata Misaki (II) - Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second part to Misaki's original one shot, and I decided to tease the shit-fuck out of this poor little fella. Also, this was written to be very humorous, so I hope Y'all enjoy! :)

Yata continued down the sidewalk and let his board coast while he continued to scout out his side of the territory, having agreed with Kamamoto that their usual "chores" would go much faster if they split up. Of course, only after promising that he would behave did Kamamoto finally allow the tightly wound coil out on his own.

It had been a rather calm day, which was out of the ordinary considering Yata's normal quota per day was at least four scuffles.

There was a ring that sounded out from his watch and forced him to come to a stop, "Who the fuck is calling me now? Better not be fat ass checking up on me _again_ ," When the transparent screen popped up after accepting the call, his lips immediately pulled into a wide smile, "Hey babe!"

" _How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'babe'_? _Anyways, when you and Rikio are finished patrol, can you quickly pick a couple things up for me? Tatara and I ran out of noodles for the big supper tonight but we have so many things on the go that we're swamped._ "

Yata winked, "Leave it to me."

They said their goodbyes and he was off, kicking his foot against the pavement to pick up speed so he could finish his side patrolling his side of the town quickly and go off to meet Kamamoto.

"Hey Yata!" Kamamoto waved to him as they neared their agreed meeting point, "What set a firecracker under your ass?"

Yata hopped off his board and tucked it under his arm, "Reina called and asked if we minded stopping to pick up some extra's for tonight," He caught Kamamoto's knowing smirk and glared, "What?! Can't a guy run an errand for his girlfriend without getting scrutinized?"

"I'm not scrutinizing you," Kamamoto smirked, "Rather, I've noticed she's got you pretty whipped."

Yata scoffed, "I'm not whipped."

"Oh, you kind of are," His smirk grew, "That, and it's been almost a year. Have you ever even gotten past the first kiss yet?"

Yata's cheeks flared," The hell?!"

"I KNEW IT!" Kamamoto laughed hard, "You're _still_ a virgin, and you two have been sleeping in the same damn bed! Yata, in just a few short days you'll have been with her for a year, _plus_ you're going to be 20 in another month! That's a whole  _year_ , man! She started living at HOMRA three weeks after she started working for Kusanagi, and you've been together for almost that entire time. Damn it, you're killing us all!"

The russet glared, "What the hell do you mean, _'killing us all'_?! Since when are you all a part of my relationship?"

"Since we worry that you're not blowing off steam!" Kamamoto threw his hands up, "Sex is the best way to get rid of tension, Yata! Trust me, when it happens you're going to feel like a fucking idiot for waiting so long!"

Yata scoffed and brushed past his plump partner trying very hard not to visualize him and Meira bumping the naughty together, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just shut up about it, already."

Faithfully, Kamamoto followed behind Yata and went with him to pick up the extra's that Reina had asked for and once finished they made their way back to the bar. Upon entry, both males stopped as soon as they walked in. All of the members of HOMRA were bustling around with either cleaning supplies or rearranging the tables so that they were grouped closer together.

"Ah good, you boys are home," Kusanagi greeted, "We asked Anna and Kaori to distract Mikoto for a while so we could get everything ready. It is our Red King's birthday, after all."

Yata grinned, "That's right!" He set his skateboard where the anal bar owner permitted him to place it and made his way to the door leading into the kitchen with the bag of noodles, "I'll go and help them in the kitchen!"

Kusanagi nodded with a chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm before looking at Kamamoto, "Can I ask you to help the boys just make the place shine?"

"Sure thing!" Kamamoto was quick to jump in, helping Bando with one of the bigger tables.

Meanwhile, out in the kitchen, Yata entered to see Tatara covered in flour from head to toe and Reina with chocolate sauce on her left cheek and icing sugar running up her arm. The russet blinked before setting the bag down and walking over to her after picking up a damp cloth, a grin slowly spreading on his face causing the tiny brunette standing in front of him.

"Thinking about jumping into the cake?" Yata chuckled and gently wiped the chocolate from her cheek.

"Maybe Kaori, but not me," Reina smiled and sighed, "It was Tatara," Said male turned and grinned innocently before he continued piping the humongous three-tier cake with the chocolate frosting in question, "We got talking about the size of the cake we should make for Mikoto, and when I told him that one tier was good enough, he insisted on making at least two more. He even threatened to do it behind my back if I didn't agree!"

"So he attacked you with frosting after saying that?" Yata's brow quirked.

Tatara whipped around with a feigned hurt expression, "I prefer to call it... Loosely bribing by smothering in chocolaty delight!"

"That sounds... Kind of sexual," Yata's cheek tinted pink at the dirty thought of Reina in lacy lingerie set with chocolate hot sauce dripping down the valley of her breasts, "Never mind."

Reina watched as Yata gave his head a quick shake, "You okay? You seem like you got a little lost in thought."

"Uh, i-it's nothing!" Yata stammered, feeling like a little child that got caught stealing from the cookie jar, "What are you guys making for supper?"

Taking that as a hint that he was avoiding the topic, Reina grinned, "Well, what I had you go buy were more yakisoba noodles, while Tatara is making donburi and udon with seafood instead of vegetables. I decided to make Mikoto's favorite, nikujaga!"

"Wow," Yata looked at the two with bright eyes, "You guys are awesome!"

Tatara grinned, "We know!"

"Want to help?" Reina smiled up at Yata before giving him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed by to get to the bag of extra noodles, "We needed to fry up the pieces of meat for one of the dishes but since Tatara is five-feet deep in cake mix and icing, I can't watch the other pots and boil these while cooking that all on my lonesome!"

Yata smirked and walked over to the hooks where the aprons hung, "Do you even have to ask?"

"You two are adorable," Tatara chuckled with a bright smile, "Ever since you met Reina, you've been such a good boy, Yata!"

Yata shot him a quick glare before going over to the counter to prepare the meat, not bothering to give Tatara a response knowing that was exactly what he wanted.

Soon, the meal was prepared, Tatara was finally happy with his masterpiece and Mikoto was due back in ten minutes. The members of HOMRA rushed to ready things and spread out the meal, furiously preparing for when their King would arrive. Kusanagi handed out glasses filled with all of the members' favorite drinks while Yata and Reina spread out the cutlery. The cake was placed on a roller table so that Tatara's heart wouldn't stop during the time when someone could possibly drop his masterpiece while carrying it to the table.

"He's coming!" Eric yelled while peeking out the window, "I can see them coming up the sidewalk right now!"

Kusanagi dropped the cloth he was holding, "Everyone get ready!"

"This is so exciting!" Chitose grinned, "It's been too long since we celebrated our King's birthday!"

"Yeah!" All of the members agreed.

Once everyone could see Mikoto's outline as he reached the door, all of the members got into place and when the door opened, Anna looked up at Mikoto with her eyes bright a smile on her face at the expression on the Red King's face. Kaori also looked up to Mikoto, grinning at the dumbfounded look on his face. 

"Happy birthday, King!"

It was the first time in years Kusanagi had seen Mikoto truly speechless, a wide grin pulling at his lips as he watched the Red King stand there in shock.

His amber eyes went wide as he looked around at all of what the members of his clan had done for him, feeling absolutely blown away with a sense of pride welling up inside of him.

"This is..." Mikoto shook his head with a small grin, "You guys are too much, honestly."

A round of cheers and laughter filled the entire bar as everyone settled into their seats, "Let's eat!"

Kaori smiled, walking up to Tatara and Reina, reaching up to ruffle their hair gently, "You two outdid yourselves. Everything looks amazing!"

"Thanks!" Reina was beaming. 

Tatara grinned and leaned in close, "Go take a quick peek in the kitchen. I'm pretty damn proud of my masterpiece~" 

"Oh, no," Kaori allowed Tatara to pull her over to the door, doing as he suggested and quickly looking into the kitchen, "Tatara Totsuka, I'll say it again. You've outdone yourself." 

He looked entirely proud of himself, "Thank you!" 

Reina tugged at Kaori's arm gently, "Come try the food before you go. We worked super hard on it! Yata helped, too!"

"Of course," Kaori smiled, allowing both Reina and Tatara to usher her to the table where the others had already begun digging into the feast. 

"Compliments to our fine cooks this evening!" Many of the HOMRA members began calling out to the two. 

Mikoto looked at Tatara who took his spot on the other side of Mikoto opposite to Anna and then his eyes wandered across the table to Yata and Reina, "You all worked on this?"

"Well, it was mostly Tatara and Reina," Yata was first to answer, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "But I guess I helped out a little bit."

"You big goof, you helped out a lot!" Reina poked Yata's cheek gently, causing the boy to blush brightly under all of the other member's stares.

Mikoto, satisfied with the answer, gave the younger boy a smile before he continued eating. 

Eventually, Tatara got anxious and decided to bring out his monstrous cake. Once again, Mikoto was left speechless.

Reina gave Yata a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up, "Unfortunately I have to go for a while, but you guys enjoy!" She rounded the table and placed a gentle kiss on the Red King's cheek, "Happy birthday, Mikoto and I'll see you all in a little while!"

"I think I'll head out, too," Kaori caught the grin spreading on Mikoto's lips, "Have to prepare the apartment and all for the second half of Mikoto's birthday~" 

"I'll call before I head over," Mikoto pulled Kaori down to press a long kiss to her lips before looking to Reina, "Thanks for the dinner, kid," He ruffled her hair affectionately much as he did to Anna with a grin, before she and Kaori slipped out of the bar after saying their goodbyes.

"She really has become a member of HOMRA, hasn't she?" Dewa asked, a sincere smile on his face.

Yata watched her leave with _that look_ on his face, "She's incredible, that's for sure."

Kamamoto grinned, "Aw, I think Yatagarasu is in love!"

"Well," Kusanagi's lips pulled into a teasing smile, "You all know what happens when you fall in love."

Having been sitting quietly the entire time, Anna watched everyone closely while she sipped at the broth in her udon, "Yata's mind has been filled with funny images like Chitose when he has a woman with him."

"Is it now?" Kamamoto smirked at the young vanguard, "Like what, Anna?"

Kusanagi glared, "Let's not ask the eleven-year-old about Yata's dirty thoughts, let alone discuss this in front of her."

"Why not?" Mikoto said between mouthfuls, "Not saying Anna should be privy to this information, but I think it's time Yata finally explores a woman's body."

"W-What?!" Yata spat out in between coughing on his food, "Mikoto, not you too!"

Suddenly, the bartender grinned and sat back against his seat, "Well when you put it that way, it would be just about that time when you two have been together for a year."

"Shy of a week. I've been keeping track!" Kamamoto continued smirking, thoroughly enjoying his partner's embarrassment, "I was telling Yata that he should, you know, _christen_ their relationship."

"Can we please not talk about this while I'm sitting here!" Yata glared at all of them, "It's completely unfair that I can't defend myself! Plus, Anna's still here and you don't want to talk about this stuff with her, right?!"

"Well, since we've already breached the topic of sex," Chitose took his turn speaking, completely ignoring Yata's complaints, "Let's start with advice for your first time."

Yata looked at Chitose as if he was going to kill him, "I suggest you shut your fucking mouth before I beat your ass."

"It'll be worth every minute of it," Chitose smirked, "Have you ever really gotten past the kissing part? I mean fuck, you sleep in the same bed and she practically lives here! Have you ever seen her in her bra and panties yet?"

Yata's cheeks flared, "I'm not talking about this with you guys."

"So you have! He's gotten along farther than I thought," Chitose sat back in his seat, "Alright then, so have you at least gone down south?"

Yata's brow rose, "What?"

"Oh, no," Kusanagi glared, "We're not talking oral in front of Anna."

Tatara was the first to excuse himself and offer to sit this conversation out, "I'll take Anna into the kitchen with me and enjoy some cake!"

Quickly, Tatara prepared two plates with decent sized pieces of cake before plucking Anna up from her seat and literally carried her into the kitchen. Once the door was shut, Yata glared knowing he was now at the HOMRA member's mercy.

"Now that Anna's not here, it's time we get right down to business," Chitose leaned on the table, eyes locking right onto Yata's, "Do you even know what 'going down south' means?"

Yata snarled, "I know what oral sex is, you fucker!"

"And how exactly do you know what it is? Hearsay doesn't count! You have to experience it and be a part of giving it!" Chitose exclaimed, not at all bothered by the heated glare he was receiving from the vanguard, "It's the gift that keeps on giving, Yata!"

Mikoto looked over to the angered russet before smirking, "How about this," All eyes were on him as he spoke, "Tonight, the boys will head on over to Izumo's to enjoy the rest of the party while you crash here with your lovely lady. I'll be at Kaori's tonight, so you won't even have to worry about us across the hall."

Kusanagi stared with his jaw slack, "Mikoto-!"

"Yeah!" Dewa nodded, followed by many other members giving Kusanagi innocent smiles, "We'll be good, we promise!"

"You've been waiting for some privacy, haven't you?" Mikoto stared Yata down with an amused smirk, knowing the young vanguard wouldn't bite back at him for what he had to say, "Well, I'm giving you the opportunity to act on those impulses."

Yata's eyes averted away, "I don't have impulses..."

"Bullshit!" Chitose yelled, "You're a guy that has a girl sleeping beside you in God knows what, of course, you have impulses!"

"We've all been there, Yata," Kusanagi chuckled, "It's your first time and you're all hot and ready to go, but then you have a little voice in the back of your head reminding you that you have no experience and that things could get pretty messy."

Chitose nodded, "And then you panic and start breathing heavy because your girlfriend starts bleeding after the first push in."

"WHAT?!" Yata's eyes went wide.

"It's a fact of life," Kusanagi stated simply, "Most girls are known to bleed a little when they have sex for the first time, so there's no need to panic. Also, don't beat yourself down if you hurt her a little during the first couple of minutes," He grinned at Yata, "Trust me, she'll get over it really fast."

Yata's cheeks burned bright at Kusanagi's words, "Really?"

"So you are taking our advice rather than pretending you're not interested!" Kamamoto smirked, "Good, so start listening to our pointers before you freak out again."

Mikoto downed his alcoholic beverage quickly before looking at Yata once more, "You'll be easier to prep than her so focus on getting her hot and bothered. She'll thank you for it when it comes down to that point of no return."

Yata could only stare at his Red King silently. He couldn't believe that he was receiving advice from a man who hardly joined in any conversations, let alone started one with someone other than Kusanagi.

"Should we tell him about the bonus of using his fingers first?" Chitose grinned, knowing that would only cause Yata to become a darker shade of red.

Kusanagi regarded the boy before turning to Chitose, "Sure. Technically he should be exploring before he sticks it in, so we should encourage him to play around with everything first."

"Most important," Kamamoto leaned forward after finishing his bowl of rice, "Boobs are awesome and will almost always get a girl excited once you start fondling them."

"You've got that right!" Fujishima finally spoke, "They really like it when you suck on their nippl-"

"OKAY, OKAY, I GOT IT!" Yata groaned loudly as he slapped a hand to his face, "Why me?!"

"We're only trying to help make your first experience better!" Chitose cried out, "There's nothing more embarrassing than getting a woman to bed and not being confident in what you're doing, so having this little bit of knowledge before the deed begins will be your upper hand!"

"Besides," Kamamoto looked at Yata, "Reina's sending off vibes like she's never touched a guy before you, so you can break her in and mold her to what you want. That in itself should make you feel honored."

Several of the boys nodded in agreement, "Yeah, no kidding. A pure virgin is hard to come by these days."

"I wonder if she's ever even experimented on herself before?"

Yata glared furiously, "Can we not talk about my girlfriend like that, please?!"

"Sorry! It was just a curious thought!"

Mikoto sat back in his seat with his newly lit cigarette between his lips in a relaxed posture, "Yata," He caught the young vanguards attention and exhaled a cloud of smoke, "You're both ready. Izumo will probably agree with me on this one, but observing both of you alone and together we can see that she's just waiting for you to make the first move. Let nature take its course and you'll be fine."

"Exactly," Kusanagi nodded his head, agreeing with Mikoto's words, "Just try not to think about it too much and you'll be fine."

What seemed like hours later, all of the members began cleaning up so they could ready themselves to go over to Kusanagi's for the rest of the party. During that time, Reina had returned and offered to help pack a small bag of clothing for Anna with Tatara, completely oblivious to what all of HOMRA (excluding Anna and Tatara) had in store for her. Kaori had even returned in time to meet Mikoto, who quickly pulled her upstairs to pack a small bag for the night, sending Yata a knowing smirked and winked at him.

"Alright guys, lets head out," Kusanagi adjusted the collar of his jacket before looking over to Reina and a slightly awkward Yata, "You don't have to clean up the kitchen by the way, just enjoy the evening," He winked at Reina, who immediately suspected something was up, "And be good."

She watched all of the members exit the bar, not quite catching all of the whispers each member was sharing between each other. With a thumbs-up from Kaori before she walked out the door, Kusanagi and Mikoto both cast the two a knowing look before finally leaving and once the lock clicked, Reina turned to Yata and gave him a suspicious look.

"Okay, spill. What's going on? Why is everyone acting weird?" Her brow rose, noticing he himself looked guilty of something as well.

Yata looked at her and willed himself to keep from blushing, "It's nothing, really," He walked up to her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "The usual tonight?"

"Well considering we're really alone for the very first time, at least now we can blare the television and not worry about someone yelling at us while we watch a movie or play games," Reina giggled and reached forward, letting her fingers grip the hem of his sweater, "Going to tell me why all of the boys were giving me strange looks?"

Yata's cheeks heated up, much to his dismay, "Oh, that..."

"Yes?" Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Yata began to feel slightly uncomfortable, "Well... I don't exactly know how to tell you this..."

"Oh, let me guess," Reina's face fell into a deadpanned expression, "Kamamoto and Chitose started being perverts again?"

When Yata didn't answer her, it suddenly dawned on her on what this was.

They were set up.

And it wasn't for movie watching or video gaming.

"This is exactly what that is, isn't it?"

Yata looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well... That's what they think this is, but it doesn't... Have to be..."

Reina's cheeks flushed at the honesty in his words, "You mean..."

"Well," Yata looked at her with wide eyes and hands held in front of him, "I'm not trying to pressure you into anything!"

Biting her bottom lip, Reina reached up to cup his cheek gently, "I know that, and that's why I'm completely comfortable to do that if you want to."

"R-Really?!" Yata blurted out, watching Reina nod as he inhaled sharply, "Well then... Upstairs we go?"

If things were different, Reina would have pinched his cheeks at how awkward he was and reassure him that this was a natural part of human nature, but she too was inwardly freaking out.

Yata reached down to take her hand in his own, mentally cursing at himself when he noticed she was trembling. Running his thumb on the top of her hand for some form of consolation, he carefully led her up the stairs and forced his feet to carry him all the way down the hall to the door to their room. It was like Kusanagi warned him before Reina had arrived, telling him that at the first sign of insecurity, she would begin to feel her own panic and the mood would completely be set off so he pushed all of the negative feelings from his body and inhaled deeply.

He was hoping his hand wasn't as clammy and sweaty as his other felt against the cool handle to his door, wondering if the door would even open.

"Yata?" Reina looked up at him, "Are you okay?"

He nodded silently and opened the door with more force than needed and swung it open with a bang, "No, nothing's wrong."

She noticed the rasp in his voice and how it lowered an octave, "You sure– _Yata_!"

"Yes?" A smooth grin stretched on his face as he looked down at her from his perch above her while she laid on the bed under him, "It's not like I've never pinned you down before," His lips hovered over her own in a teasing way before barely bushing over her own, "Or ever kissed you before," She shivered at his words, "Or tasted your tongue before."

Her cheeks burned brightly, "Yes, but-" She bit her bottom lip, noticing the changing look in his eyes, "We've only ever kissed, this is different!"

"Don't worry about any of that right now," Yata leaned down and took this opportunity to exercise his newfound courage and nuzzled just beneath her ear with his nose, feeling her body shudder against him, "Shh, just let me make you feel good."

His words caused heat to pool in both of their lower abdomens and their hands touching each other's bodies only paved the way to a more inviting, more alluring path. She felt his hands slip underneath her shirt and enjoyed the way his fingers felt as they brushed against her skin.

Reina's eyes were lidded when he pulled away enough from her to look into her eyes and grinned, "Ready to play?" When she nodded, he leaned down to capture her lips and officially kick start their early first year anniversary present to one another.

\- x -

"So," Bando looked from one member to the other as they stood directly in front of Yata's door the next morning, "Who is going to be the brave one and take a peek inside?"

Akagi grinned, "Well, since it was your idea you should do it, San-chan!"

The older of the two narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses, "Just because it's my idea doesn't mean I should be the one to get my face chewed off if one of them wakes up! I don't have a death wish!"

"You're right," Kamamoto stepped forward, raising his hand to push Tatara forward, "They'll take pity on you, so you go and see if it happened."

Tatara looked around at all the members wildly, "H-Hey!" He held his hands out to catch his stumbling form against the frame rather than crashing into the door and frowned, "You're all so cruel, you know that?"

"You're the least likely to get spit fried if they wake up, so you go in and tell us what you find," Came the unanimous reply.

Even Mikoto, who had actually woken up in the morning and returned to the bar, stood off to the side attempting to hide his own curiosity while Kaori stood beside him and grinned at Tatara.

"Fine, but you all owe me if I get attacked because of your sick and twisted bets!" Tatara puffed his cheeks out, attempting to look intimidating before turning back to the door, "Here goes nothing..."

Slowly reaching for the handle, Tatara twists it open with caution. He took a minute to listen into the room for any sign of movement, only hearing steady breathing and light snoring coming from who he assumed was Yata. Carefully opening the door so it wouldn't creak, Tatara ventured into the lion's den with his own life in his hands and let his eyes adjust to the darker room before making out two figures sleeping soundly on the bed in the corner of the room.

Yata was laying on his side with the girl curled up against him, and from what Tatara could see, he was free of any clothing with only the covers tossed carelessly over his hips being his barrier from prying eyes. He had his arm around draped over Reina's exposed back, who also had the covers only hiding her lower body from view.

Tatara observed the two and felt his lips tug into a smile, noticing the serene look on the usually temperamental vanguard's face. He felt a sense of happiness for the two, deciding to leave them in their peaceful situation and silently exited the room.

"Well?" Eager voices whispered while Tatara carefully shut the door, "Did it happen?!"

Tatara turned and looked at all of the eager eyes staring at him and smiled, "I will tell you what I saw, but I will only say it downstairs and you must know that none of you have permission to go in there and disturb them!"

Ushering everyone downstairs, Kusanagi assisted Tatara in herding all of the impatient HOMRA boys to the main bar area.

"So?!" Kamamoto looked at Tatara, "Come on, Tatara! The suspense is killing us!"

Tatara chuckled and took a seat on the leather sofa, "Well," He paused just to aggravate the boys even more, "From what I could gather when I saw them both, it happened-" A loud ruckus broke out as they all smirked and cheered for their vanguard, "But they were peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to go investigate further."

Kusanagi chuckled and picked up a glass and began polishing it with his cloth, "We'll have to congratulate him for finally becoming a man."

"Yeah but don't embarrass the two of them," Tatara smiled, "If you'd of seen the look on his face, you'd feel bad for wanting to tease him."

"Oh?" Kusanagi looked at him, "Of course he'd be happy."

The light brunette shook his head, "It wasn't that," He sat back and closed his eyes, "He really looked calm. It was the first time since Saruhiko was here that Yata looked that calm."

"She has the effect on him," One of the members agreed, "Which is good. Maybe she can help him finally chill out and enjoy life!"

Kamamoto sat down at the bar a couple stools away from Mikoto and Anna, while the other members lounged around and waited for one of the two to wake up. Kaori offered to make breakfast and planned on making something extra special for the two still upstairs.

Much to their pleasure, they didn't have long to wait.

Sounds of fumbling upstairs accompanied by the opening of a door caught all of their attention, bringing wide grins to their faces when they could hear Yata's soft moans as he stretched.

" _You should really consider covering those up_ ," Reina's voice giggled.

They could hear Yata snort, " _It's just a bruise! It's not like I don't have a shit ton of them from fights._ "

" _Yes but, these are different!_ " Came the embarrassed retort.

Chitose and Kamamoto shared a grin, "Hickeys," They said simultaneously.

There was more shuffling from upstairs until the sound of footsteps making their way down the stairs silenced them all. Kusanagi sent each and every one of the HOMRA boys, including a slightly amused and grinning Mikoto, a warning look as to keep quiet.

Yata was the first to appear from up the stairs, "Morning," He yawned and ruffled a hand through his messy russet locks, "The hell are you all grinning about?"

Kamamoto noticed the boy was wearing his usual shorts and a black muscle shirt, "We just got here not too long ago," He stood up, "How was last night?"

"Good," Yata brushed passed them when he felt his cheeks beginning to heat up from last nights events, making his way into the kitchen as fast as he could without looking suspicious.

When he got inside, Kaori waved to him with an innocent smile that caused him to blush, "Morning, Yata," Her eyes slimmed a little as his cheeks reddened, "Come to avoid the boys and their knowing looks?"

"Yeah," Yata nodded stiffly, but couldn't find it in him to bellow out his embarrassment in front of the woman he referred to as his mother figure.

To his dismay and utter surprise, someone followed him in and that very person was Mikoto.

"Since she'll become a more permanent fixture around here, I'm going to have her join HOMRA," Mikoto walked past him towards the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs, "Do you have any objections to that?"

Yata looked at his King and blinked several times before grinning widely, "That would be awesome!"

"She'll be an asset here and I'll have her help Tatara when we go out and do the dirty work," He looked at his younger companion and held out the carton, which Yata had been reaching for anyways, "That way I won't have to worry about you losing focus and worrying about her safety."

Yata looked up at Mikoto, "You'd do that?"

"Of course," Mikoto's lips pulled into a small smirk, "I'm sure Anna would be happier knowing Reina's not going anywhere. She's quite attached to her, although she hasn't said it out loud to anyone other than Kaori, Tatara or myself."

"She should," Yata chuckle and began prepping the large frying pan and turned the stove on, "Reina's been worried that Anna doesn't like her."

Mikoto placed a hand on Yata's shoulder as he passed by, "I'll be sure to pass on the message," He gave a squeeze before walking to Kaori, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before exiting the kitchen, leaving the vanguard to his own thoughts.

Yata pondered to himself as he began cracking enough eggs open and adding them to the hot frying pan for all of the members when a smile crossed his features at the sound of Reina's voice entering the main bar.

"So, mum," Yata glanced to Kaori, who was finishing the third round of pancakes, "Did you know Mikoto was going to do that?" 

She looked over to him and smiled, "As a matter of fact, I did," She giggled at the surprise on his face, "You didn't think Mikoto would be against you having a relationship, did you? You should know by now that the happiness of his clansmen means a lot to him."

"I know," Yata nodded slowly, "What do you think of her?"

Kaori grinned, "She's a female version of you. What's not to like?" 

That caused Yata to blush before he grinned back and began furiously cooking eggs for the hungry clansmen out in the main bar area.

" _Morning, cutie!_ " Chitose welcomed.

He heard Reina giggle and assumed she waved at him like she usually did, " _How long have you guys been here?_ "

" _Not long,_ " Was Kusanagi's reply, " _Yata went into the kitchen if you're wondering._ "

" _I'll go in and join!_ " Tatara's excited reply came, and soon two sets of steps were heard closing in on the door until finally, it opened to reveal the two, "You've already started helping with breakfast, Yata? And Kaori, I can't believe you're here this early. I would have thought Mikoto would have kept you alone for longer than this."

"Believe me when I say this is a once in a lifetime deal," Kaori smirked, "We both wanted to be here this morning."

Reina blinked and nodded, "Okay," She looked at Yata with a curious expression.

He looked at them and smiled, "Figured no one's eaten yet, so I'm helping mum make breakfast for everyone."

"Excellent, I'll help!" Tatara was quick to jump into an apron and began preparing several things he knew the members would enjoy.

Reina rubbed her eyes as she walked over to Yata, "Want me to help with anything?"

"Nah," He grinned, "Why don't you go out and sit with Anna? I'm sure instead of talking to the guys, it would be a nice change of pace to actually talk to another girl."

Kaori gave an indignant snort but giggled and shrugged it off while Reina hesitated, but the reassuring look on Yata's face made her resolve change, "If you say so," She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before making her way out into the bar.

Deciding to leave Tatara alone with Yata, Kaori quickly poured two cups of coffee and went out to sit with Mikoto, who she knew would be needing a caffeine fix at this point.

"So," Tatara's innocent tone told Yata the conversation was going to be far from that, "Did you guys have fun last night?"

Yata groaned, "You too?!"

"Well, I _was_ the one they sent in to see if you two were still alive," Tatara continued with what he was doing and ignored the deadly glare Yata was sending him, "I'm assuming it happened because you two were both undressed and so tightly wrapped up in each other's arms with such peaceful looks on your faces, that if you tried to lie to me now would be pointless."

Yata deadpanned when Tatara winked at him, "Don't worry, I didn't let any of them peek inside so it was just me. We're all proud of you! You're finally a man now!"

"Shut up!" Yata's face burned as he went back to his eggs, "So what if it happened?"

"Nothing to be ashamed of!" Tatara walked over with his plate of different meats and chopped up vegetables for him to cook, "Not only is it a way to really be intimate with your partner, but it's also a great stress reliever. Trust me, Yata, you'll be much better now that you know what it is and have had a taste for it."

"And how exactly would you know all of this?" Yata glared, "It's not like we've seen you with a girl before!"

Tatara grinned widely, "Hey! I'll have you know that I have a lovely girlfriend right now, plus I had been in a long-term relationship for over two years before I met King and Izumo."

"Uh huh," Yata eyed him suspiciously before beginning to cook up all of the extra pieces for the breakfast and asked Tatara to ready the bread, "Alright, if you say so."

"It's true!" Tatara's cheeks puffed out, "Anyways! So does this mean that Reina is going to be staying here for a while?"

Yata's expression changed almost instantly, "Mikoto said that he was going to ask her if she'd join HOMRA!"

"Really?" Tatara grinned, "Excellent! Seems like things are really starting to come together now!"

Yata nodded and quickly finished up what he needed to before dishing it out on enough plates for everyone and made use of that rolling cart Tatara purchased for the giant cake he created for Mikoto's birthday as Tatara helped him. They made their way out into the main part of the bar and handed each of the boys a plate before sitting down themselves.

Reina smiled and accepted the plate Yata gave her, "Good thing you're out here now," His eyes narrowed slightly in question, "At least now I won't be the only one getting grinned at."

"Oh come on!" Yata glared, "You guys are horrible, you know that?!"

Kamamoto smirked, "Of course we do! Besides, this calls for a celebration!"

"No, it doesn't!" Yata snarled, "It's personal, not social!"

Kusanagi chuckled, "Alright everyone, let's eat and then after breakfast we can decide whether or not to torture Yata and Reina."

The two in question shot the bartender a quick glare, which he shrugged off like anything else.

"Reina," All eyes turned to their King, who stood up and walked over to her and held out a hand, "I think it's time you became a permanent member of the family."

Her eyes went wide, "Really?" She looked around at all of the smiling faces before meeting Mikoto's eye, "I'd be honored."

Looking down at his hand and reaching for it with her own, she watched as his palm was suddenly engulfed in red flames. Having already experienced the flames from Yata on several occasions, she had no fear of them and wrapped her hand in the Red Kings. There were several seconds of pure silence and bated breaths as everyone watched the exchange. Yata watched nervously, mentally hoping that their King's flames wouldn't reject her.

To his relief, they disappeared and soon Reina felt a tingling sensation over her skin.

Mikoto smiled and pulled his hand away, watching as she pulled the left side of her shirt down enough to see the signature tattoo having been planted onto her pale flesh. The Red King stood up and reached out to ruffle her hair as his sign of congratulations before returning to his spot at the bar to continue eating.

"Congratulations, Reina!" Several men grinned, "We should celebrate tonight!" There were a few other cheers of agreement and happiness that followed in suit and all faces bore smiles on them.

Reina looked at Yata and blushed at the way he was looking at her, "What?"

"Nothing," He leaned close to her ear, "I'm just admiring how damned sexy that tattoo makes you look."

She giggled and gave him a shove, "Oh, stop," She grinned back at him before turning to look at Anna, who had walked over and looked up at Reina, "Anna?"

"Your aura is a very pretty red," A small smile worked its way onto her face, "It's inviting like Kaori's."

Reina smiled down at Anna and reached down to pick her up, placing her on her bottom on the other side of her on the sofa, "Is that so? Well, thank you for that!"

Anna looked up at her and soon leaned against her, her crimson eyes closing as she relaxed against the only other female of HOMRA. All eyes watched, catching the flattered and almost motherly expression on Reina's face as she smiled down at the young strain.

"Well, there's no going back now," Kusanagi chuckled, "You're officially one of us."


	11. CH XI - Eric Solt (I) - An Act of Kindness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, considering Eric didn't have the greatest of past's, I really wanted to give him someone who would show him kindness, much like his partner in HOMRA. Hence, Kian was created~ :)
> 
> NOTE: Her name is pronounced Kian, _Key-anne_.

It had been a long night and quite frankly, Kian was ready for bed. She had been forced into staying past her normal shift and now that it was close to ten o'clock in the evening, she was beyond annoyed. Not only did she have to stay to cover for some child that called in "sick", she missed the new episode of her favorite show and had school in the morning.

Kian continued her trek down the quiet streets until she stopped at a light and waited for the crosswalk sign to change signs, and noticed a figure moving from the corner of her eye.

When she turned around, she noticed a young man sitting around a large pile of trash bags and frowned. He was dirty and seemed as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. There was also a trail of blood coming from the corner of his mouth and despite him trying to cover up his arms with the sleeves of his blue sweater, he was peppered in bruises.

The annoyed pissed off part of her dissipated and was replaced with a well of concern.

Gripping the strap to her purse, she slowly made her way over to him and spoke with caution in her voice, "Hey, you alright?" She knew the obvious was negative, but she felt as though that would be the easiest way to gain his attention (which it did), "How long have you been sitting here?"

The boy never spoke, but she could see crystal blue eyes peering up at her through his blond fringe. He looked extremely timid, as though he were expecting her to lash out at him and attack.

Kian held up her hands so he could see them both, "My name is Kian and yours?"

"Eric..." He spoke so quietly she'd almost missed it, "What do you want?"

Kian's heart slammed in her chest at the emotionless tone his voice held, "I just wanted to offer you some help?"

"..." He looked away from her and shifted uncomfortably, "... I'm fine..."

"No you're not," Kian frowned, "At least come with me so I can clean up your wounds and give you a hot meal. You can even stay at my place for the night if you want to?"

Eric looked up at her, somewhat startled by her generous offer but felt his legs move on their own accord without his permission. The thought of having a real meal and a warm place to sleep for the night was much too tempting for him to deny, and so he slowly got up and walked over to the strange girl.

She wasn't much shorter than he was and had long, dirty blond hair with what he thought were brown eyes concealed by long lashes. She offered him a kind smile and held out her hand, which he took after a moment's hesitation.

Quietly, they made their way to her flat and quickly she pushed him into the bathroom and prepared a hot bath. Eric watched the hot water pouring into the tub while she prepared her first aid kit off to the side and ushered him over to her.

"You said your name was Kian, right?" Eric winced when she dabbed a peroxide-soaked cotton ball against the scrape on his left temple, "That's not a Japanese name, is it?"

Kian gently tugged his hood down to get better access to the area she was treating and shook her head, "No, but I'm only half Japanese. I was born in England but when my mother got sick, my father sent money for me to come to join him here so that when she passed away I had a place to go."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Eric looked at her.

She shrugged, "I never got to meet my mother and have no memories of her other than what my family has told me about her, so I guess I've never got to experience that real sadness of losing a parent," She brushed his long bangs back carefully and checked for any more scrapes, "Thank you for that, though..."

He nodded slowly and watched as she tossed the soiled cotton ball into the trash, "My parents weren't from Japan but I never got a chance to know them, either," When he felt her eyes on him he continued, "They were taken out in a gang war."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kian frowned, "So then, you're a part of a gang yourself, or was it just your parents?"

Eric frowned and averted his eyes, "I'm nothing but a dog to the gang I'm forced to serve... I'm not an important piece."

There was a moment where the two remained in silence while she continued to tend to his open wounds, either bandaging or stitching them up and then went over to turn the tap off once the tub was filled. Deciding to pursue the topic of his affiliation with the gang he spoke of, Kian chose to leave it at that and let her questions die with her curiosity. She knew if he wanted to talk about it, he would of his own volition.

"I'll finish with the other cuts once you've had a hot bath and relaxed a bit, so when you're done please call for me but don't put the clean shirt I've left for you on," Kian explained. She noticed the insecure look on his face and watched his eyes glance down to his bruised wrists, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, okay?"

His crystal blues looked up at her to see she was giving him another kind smile, "Okay..."

He watched her as she left the bathroom, closing the door behind her and he slowly got up and undressed. Eric looked at himself in the vanity mirror and winced at the sight of his too thin beaten and battered body, disliking the fact that she would see him in this state. Nevertheless, he walked towards the tub and reached his hand down to test the water before climbing in.

Meanwhile, Kian went and changed into a pair of pajamas before going to the kitchen to prepare a hefty meal for the two of them. She made enough so if Eric wished to eat seconds or even thirds, there would be more than enough for him to do so. She waited about half an hour once the food was nearly done cooking to go and check on the blond boy in her bathroom, carefully knocking at the door.

Once she heard the water rustle and a nervous call from inside, she opened the door slowly and peeked in, "Sorry for intruding but supper is nearly done so I wanted to come in and check on you."

Eric watched her and slowly grabbed a towel and lifted himself out of the now filthy water, "I was just finishing up..." He wrapped the towel around himself and quickly dried off once he saw the door close, and put on the clean pair of sweat pants she'd left for him, "You can come in."

Kian walked in and smiled at him, "Alright, let's get you patched up and then go and enjoy some food!"

Eric was stunned by the way Kian looked at him when she covered the open wounds on his flesh, noticing that disgust or revolt was absent from her eyes. He felt his chest tighten at the fact that she was tending to him and looking at him as an actual human being, rather than a disgusting bug on the floor like the members of Hikawa would normally regard him. If anything, he could see concern clearly expressed in her vision and felt somewhat endeared by that.

He didn't miss the way she would bite her lip at his very thin and fragile frame, or the way she would mutter a silent apology whenever she pressed too hard on one of his bruises.

"There," She smiled and held out the white shirt him to take, "All patched up."

He accepted the clean fabric and tossed it over his head, enjoying the soft feeling of the material against his skin when it smoothed out onto his frame.

Kian took his hand gently and lead him out to the kitchen, "Have a seat and I'll get you a plate."

Eric did as he was told and watched her closely while she grabbed a large plate and filled it to the point where there were mounds of different foods in respective piles. She also grabbed two bowls and filled one with white rice and another with a soup base and then some noodles from a pot. When it was all set in front of him with a pair of chopsticks, a fork and a knife he looked up at the girl in awe.

Kian grinned, "Well don't just sit there and gawk, go ahead and dig in!"

Eric needed no other words of encouragement, doing just that.

After getting the two something to drink, Kian sat opposite to him at the table and watched as he shoveled in the food as if it were his last meal. She tried not to stare at him while he slurped at the noddles or cough in between mouthfuls of rice, but she couldn't help herself. It wasn't his lack of table manners that she was watching, it was the twinkle in his eyes at the thought that he was actually eating a hot meal that she noticed whenever he took a bite.

"There's more if you're still hungry," Kian smiled, noticing his plate was looking a little empty, "Help yourself, Eric, really."

He paused between mouthfuls of rice and looked up at her, "Really? You don't mind me eating this much?"

"Not at all," She giggled and reached forward to use her napkin to wipe off some of the broth from the noodles off his chin, "I made a lot because I figured you were hungry, so eat 'till your heart's content."

Eric stared at her for a moment before dropping the spoon he'd been using for the rice to the table and stood up to walk around so he was directly in front of her, "Thank you so much," He took both of her hands and dropped down onto his knees, "I've never met anyone as kind as you before this."

"It's nothing, really," Kian blushed and looked down at him to say something else, but he interrupted her.

"No," Eric shook his head, "I'll be sure to repay you for all of your kindness one day, I promise."

She turned her hands in his so that she could close her own fingers onto his and held his hands on her lap, "Alright, alright! I can see there's no arguing with you," She smiled.

Once dinner was done and they were both cleaned up, Eric helped her clean and put away the dishes before they settled down in her small living room to watch a movie to conclude their evening. When it finally came time for bed, Eric insisted on remaining on the couch after Kian had offered her bed to him. An argument broke out but soon the two agreed that they would inevitably share the bed and just use one of her extra pillows to separate them.

"You're not uncomfortable by this?" Eric asked, looking to his right where Kian laid beside him, "Sharing a bed with a man you just met?"

Kian looked at him and shifted, "Well, I never suspected I'd be having a visitor tonight but no, I know you won't do anything. I have a good gut feeling about you."

"You do?" Eric's cheeks heated up and for the first time in his entire life, he felt flattered, "Wow... No one's ever said that to me before?"

Kian smiled although Eric couldn't see due to the darkness, "Get used to it. If you're going to be my friend, I'm not going to let you be all down and depressed," She looked over to him, "Eventually I'll force you to see your self-worth, Eric."

That night, Eric maneuvered his way past the barrier pillow and laid close to Kian. For the very first time since his parents left him to Hikawa's mercy, he felt completely and utterly safe enough to close his eyes and know that he would not be killed or beaten on during his moment of weakness.


	12. CH XII - Kuroh Yatogami (I) - How to Save a Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I originally had a very hard time with Kuroh's one-shot, and I re-wrote it SIX. BLOODY. TIMES. before I was happy with it. And even then, I don't think I settled very well with what came out of it, so I altered it a bit aside from the editing before I reposted it here. 
> 
> NOTE: 
> 
>  
> 
> **Warning, warning! Mentions of rape at the beginning! You have been warned!**

It had been a long night, and already there were no leads as to whether he would be able to locate this new Colorless King easily or not. Kuroh sighed to himself as he sat perched on top of one of the tallest buildings in Shizume City, contemplating whether or not to go and get some rest or to push forward.

Deciding on the latter, Kuroh finally got up and made his way back to the abandoned warehouse that he was currently using as his temporary sleeping arrangement.

Upon entry, Kuroh immediately sensed the presence of four different people followed by the muffled cries of a young woman. Reaching for the hilt of his sword Kotowari, he slowly peered around the corner and felt his eyes go wide.

Two men stood watching with cruel smirks on their faces as another man laid over a sobbing woman who fought hard against her captor to get away. Her clothing had been torn to shreds and he could see blood under her hips where she had been involuntarily taken several times over. The man above her had his hand clamped down over her mouth while he took his sick and twisted needs from her trembling body, moaning into the room at his own pleasure at the cost of this woman's body.

Unable to stand there and be silent while this happened, Kuroh quickly made himself known and used the force of his aura to surround his palm and dart forward to grab one of the two standing by and launched him across the room. The other of the two watching the scene below on the floor reached for his pistol but was soon grabbed by the lavender aura and thrown mercilessly into the brick wall.

"What the fuck?!" The man who had been on the floor with the woman got up quickly and aimed his own weapon at Kuroh, "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

Kuroh narrowed his eyes, "I will not stand by and allow you to violate an innocent woman," He held his hand out and used the same tactic to grab the perpetrator in front of him, slamming into the wall without a second thought.

The man was successfully knocked unconscious in seconds.

Kuroh watched the man's body slump onto the floor before turning to the woman who was now sitting up hugging herself tightly as she sobbed hard enough to cause herself to hiccup. Cautiously as to not alarm the woman, he unhooked the scabbard to his blade and set Kotowari down quietly.

"Miss," He caught her attention and soon she sharply looked up at him, "I won't harm you. My name is Kuroh Yatogami, please allow me to assist you."

She looked around slowly and noticed all of the men that had violated her were crumpled on the floor in unconscious heaps before looking up at Kuroh, "Y-You did that?"

"Yes," He stepped forward and kneeled down a couple feet in front of her, "This is where I have been sleeping during the nights since I have arrived in Shizume City following my fallen master's last wish."

"What do you mean?" She sniffled and watched him, not noticing he had begun digging into a satchel and was pulling out bandages and disinfectant, "You're not from here?"

Kuroh shook his head, "No, I lived outside of the city with my late master and former Seventh King, Ichigen Miwa," He began, "I have only recently traveled here to find and judge the new Seventh King to be either evil or good and have orders to slay him without hesitation should I find him to be evil."

" _Seventh King_?" Her brows furrowed, "What do you mean by that?"

Kuroh started working on her wounds while speaking to her to keep her distracted, "They are special beings gifted with supernatural strength and as such, there are seven of them in total," He quickly cleaned one of her deeper wounds and bandaged it up, "Each King has their own special powers and aura. My master, Ichigen Miwa, was the Seventh and weakest King with a colorless aura."

She winced as he began dabbing antiseptic on another wound, "So, would the man flying the large airship in the sky also be a King? I've always wondered if he was royalty or not."

"He is," Kuroh nodded, "He is the first and Silver King. Not the strongest of all seven, but he is known as the Immortal King," He paused when he noticed one of the larger mars on her flesh circled around to her exposed front, "Here," He held out a small cover to her, "I must tend to a wound that reaches around your torso and I believe you would feel much better to have yourself covered."

She looked at him from over her shoulder and nodded slowly, "Thank you..." Accepting the blanket, she covered her chest with it and laid down as instructed by Kuroh, "Are you going to be one of those King's?"

"No, I merely serve under my late master until I find another King worthy to serve," Kuroh answered honestly, "Until then, I am to hunt down the new Colorless King and be his judge and jury."

"I see," She bit her bottom lip at the burning sensation washing over her as he pressed a soaked cloth against the marred skin under her bruised rib cage, "Did your master Ichigen teach you first aid?"

Kuroh nodded, "He taught me quite a lot," She could tell the fondness in his voice and almost broke into a smile, "There, almost finished."

Once Kuroh was done patching her up, he wrapped her up in one of his spare blankets and started a fire so she wouldn't freeze overnight. He'd decided to keep her safe at least while the experience was still fresh in her mind, offering to remain awake for the night while she slept in his futon. When he walked back into the room after removing the three men and discarding their unconscious forms somewhere far from the warehouse, he'd been slightly surprised not to see her on his bed but rather leaning against the wall off to the side.

"You don't have to do this you know," She argued, "I've slept on cement before so I can just curl up right here?"

No matter how many times she would disagree, Kuroh was having none of that, "I insist. It would be improper for me to leave a woman on a cold floor, not even considering what had happened earlier."

"Kuroh, was it?" His eyes met her own at the sound of his name coming off her lips, "You don't even know me, so why would help me like this?"

That question should have set Kuroh aback, but it didn't. He merely shifted against the wall that he was leaning on before answering her.

"I can sense intentions of others as if it were their own personal aura's surrounding them," Kuroh started, his crystal blues locking onto her faded grays, "You exude a warm, comforting aura around you despite what those men had done to you and that is what makes me confident that you are of no harm."

She watched him closely and remained seated and in silence for a while, mulling over his words over and over again in the confines of her mind. He would watch her out of the corner of his eye and notice how she would hug the blanket closer to her body each time she would shift until finally, he saw her rise from her spot and tentatively walk to the futon.

Kuroh felt a small tug at the corner of his lips as he watched her slowly lay down and pull the covers up over herself, feeling at ease once she was settled and comfortable.

"Good night, Kuroh," Her voice was a quiet whisper but he could hear her perfectly, "And thank you for everything..."

Before he could reply, the steady rhythm of her breathing told him that she had fallen asleep.

**\- x -  
**

Her eyes flew open as she sat up with a jolt, her hands rushing to grab the blankets to cover herself up as she quickly surveyed the unfamiliar area she was in. This wasn't the first time that she had ever woken up in a place like this, but she had never been completely nude and covered in bandages before. Slowly rising and wrapping the blanket around herself, she stepped off the futon and bit her bottom lip.

"Hello?"

"Ah, you're awake," Kuroh walked into view holding a bag in one hand and what looked like a large flat box supported on his other, "I've gone and taken the liberty of gathering you some clothing, and also prepared breakfast."

She felt her cheeks heat up at the sudden rush of memories last night and thanked him, "There's an office off to the left of the room, so feel free to change in there. I'll be in here waiting."

Thanking him once again, she accepted the bag from him and headed into the office. It was filthy and cluttered with papers messily strewn everywhere but it was big enough for her to do what she needed to do. The bag Kuroh had brought her contained a pair of black leggings, dark grey shirt, and black undergarments. There was also a black sheer cardigan for her to pull over her shoulders, which she felt happy about considering the cool air that brushed against her bare flesh caused chills to wash over her. At the very bottom of the bag was a pair of flats that were half a size too big, but she would make them work.

"I can't believe you were able to find all of this," She said as she walked out of the room, "And it all fits, too."

Kuroh looked over to her and smiled, "Another trait given to me by my master Ichigen."

She smiled back and walked over to him, sitting down across from him when he motioned for her to have a seat and handed her a plate. Whatever it was, she knew it would be much better than what her mother would have made her back home.

"This looks amazing," She admitted, "Did you make this yourself?"

Kuroh nodded, "I have access to the kitchen that used to be in use in this building and I have been gradually cleaning it up since my arrival."

"I see," She thanked him for the meal and took a bite, "Wow, this is delicious!"

He felt proud of himself at her compliment and thanked him.

"Kiyomi," She suddenly said, "My name is Kiyomi."

 _Kiyomi._ He smiled, "That's a beautiful name."

"Thanks," She looked down at her plate, "It was my grandmother who named me."

"Are you close to your family?" Kuroh inquired.

She shook her head, "No, not exactly. My mother is a drunk and my father is always away on business for the company he works for, so I've learned to raise myself," Kiyomi admitted, "My grandmother was the only one that was actually in the picture for the longest time, but she's recently fallen ill."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kuroh frowned, "I myself, don't remember my family. I was orphaned at a young age so all I've ever known is my master Ichigen."

Kiyomi looked at him and smiled softly, "He seems to have been quite an amazing person for you to talk so highly of him."

"He was," Kuroh sighed happily at the fond memories when he closed his eyes before reaching for his breast pocket, producing a small audio recorder, "I keep him here with me in this device and play his words whenever I am lost or in need of guidance in my life."

_"In order to move forward, you must stop re-reading the previous chapter in your life to begin the next."_

"Very useful words, indeed!" Kuroh's eyes were practically shining, causing Kiyomi to deadpan slightly, "He wasn't just a King, he was an avant-guard poet and simply needed to have his recorded words passed on through the generations!"

Kiyomi giggled slightly, "How lovely," She set her plate aside and looked at him thoughtfully, "Kuroh, I'm in debt to you but I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness."

"Please," Kuroh pocketed his recorder and looked directly into her eyes, "Do not feel as though you owe me. It would have been an utter disgrace on my part to allow that behavior and cruelty to continue, so I did what I could to help."

She nodded slowly, "I'm sorry I'm so skeptical, but I'm just not used to this sort of kindness."

"It's quite alright," He stood up and offered his hand to help her, pulling her to her feet when she accepted his offer, "Allow me to escort you home."

"That would be lovely," She smiled up at him.

Kuroh and Kiyomi quickly cleaned up before heading out and remained in a comfortable silence while walking down the sidewalks. She continued leading them the entire way until finally, they ended up in her neighborhood. Much to Kuroh's surprise, she actually lived in a very decent part of the town but remembered that despite her alcoholic mother, her father was a businessman. Kuro gave his head a shake knowing that his late master Ichigen would have frowned upon his judgment.

"I must ask before we part ways," Kuroh stopped and watched as she turned around to face him, "Were you affiliated with those men who attacked you in any way?"

Kiyomi frowned, "No, why?"

"I ask because they were clansmen that belonged to a particular leader who calls himself the 'Black King'," Kuroh revealed, "Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but I hope that they are not targeting your family."

The girl in front of him frowned, "You think they were after me because of one of my parents?"

"No, it was simply a thought," He admitted, however, the thought did cross his mind, "Should you need my help, please give me a call and I will be right over. I've already programmed my number into the PDA I've hidden in your cardigan's left pocket, so do not hesitate if you feel scared or threatened."

Kiyomi stared at him in slight shock for a moment before snapping back to reality and smiled small, "You're too kind, really."

Kuroh walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze, "Good luck, Kiyomi."

"Same to you, Kuroh," She looked at him while reaching up to place her hand over his and watched while he continued past her, "If you get lonely in that building by yourself, don't hesitate to call me, either. Okay?"

Kuroh stopped and looked at her, "I promise," He smiled and nodded his farewell before disappearing from view.


	13. CH XIII - Saruhiko Fushimi (II) - Second Chances

It had been a little over two weeks since Keirsten saw the strange but handsome Saruhiko Fushimi, wondering if he had actually been real or not. She'd seen so many faces since the store had begun to draw in more and more people, so trying to recall the events from that day almost seemed dreamlike.

" _'eirie~_ " Juugan, one of her co-workers walked up to her after calling her by the annoying nickname he'd dubbed her, "Bossman said that you can head home now since it's started to quiet down, and to enjoy your two days off."

Keirsten looked at Juugan with wide eyes, "You mean he's actually giving me two days off in a row?" The two snickered as she leaned in with her hand cupping one side of her mouth, "He must have gotten laid to be that generous."

"No kidding," He chuckled and shooed her from behind the counter, "If you're bored at all just shoot me a text or something and maybe I'll venture out of my basement and go chill for a while."

She looked at him and grinned, "Sure, I'll keep that in mind. See ya!"

Keirsten waved him off and exited the game shop after collecting her bag and headed towards one of the three bus stops near her work. When she got to the closest one, she noticed that it was eerily quiet and that no other civilians were around.

"The hell?" Keirsten frowned and took a quick look around before looking down at her watch to confirm the time, "Usually it's busy as hell right now?"

A shuffling noise from behind her caused her to turn her head and now standing behind her was a strange man who staggered around as if he were drunk.

Keirsten's first instinct told her to run back to the store, but when she eyed her path back to her work, there was another stumbling man that came into view and blocked her way to safety. Inwardly panicking, she gripped the strap of her bag tightly and prepared to defend herself should the two men decide to try and grab her.

"Daichi and Arata Kosuke, stop right now!"

Keirsten looked over to the sound of a strong female voice and noticed a group of people sporting blue coats with sabers on their hips standing off to the side, their eyes trained on the two men surrounding her.

A scream ripped through her throat as one of the two men grabbed hold of her and held her tightly to his chest, "Or what, Blue's? Going to kill me?" The man snickered, "You can't do anything to me while I have this civilian."

The woman, who looked as though she was the main authority figure standing in front of the men in Blue, stepped forward and smirked at the man, "You seem to forget that Scepter 4 is the city's protection against strains like you and that we are more than capable of detaining you without harming any civilians you may hold as hostages."

Keirsten's eyes flew open wide as each of the men standing behind the female lieutenant began unsheathing their blades, "W-Wait!"

"Miss, please remain calm," The woman called to her before gripping the hilt of her own sword, "Awashima, ready!"

_Oh my sweet, buttery, chocolate Christ, I'm going to die here! This is how it ends!_ Keirsten trembled as the troupes of this "Scepter 4" began walking closer and soon had them surrounded.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the man who was with the one holding her captive had already tried to make a break for it and was taken down by more men off to the side when her hazel eyes locked onto a familiar face.

_Saruhiko?_ She frowned and struggled against the man, "H-Hey! What are you doing here?"

"You know that woman, Fushimi?" One of the men looked at Fushimi, who had begun walking towards them with his eyes on the strain holding her tightly against himself, "Fushimi!"

Awashima couldn't believe her eyes when Fushimi produced several handheld blades and let his red aura consume them before firing them at the strain. She watched as the civilian shut her eyes tightly and braced for a hit, but was sent flying forward as Fushimi appeared behind the strain and hooked his left arm around the man's neck. The strain in question out of pure shock had released the girl and struggled to free himself from the Blue, but it was too late.

Before anyone could give an order, Fushimi had pierced the strain with his sword and killed him instantly.

Keirsten staggered backward in order to get away from the dead body as it dropped to the ground, her eyes locked on Saruhiko Fushimi. He sheathed his blade before taking a step towards her, catching her off guard with how fast his approach was.

"Calm down Keirsten, I'm not going to hurt you," He gave an aggravated click of his tongue, "If you'd just take a deep breath and let me help you up, I'll explain everything but you need to calm down."

Awashima approached the two slowly, her eyes trailing from the terrified civilian on the ground and then to Scepter 4's third, "Miss," Hazel eyes darted towards her and she did the best she could to offer a kind smile, "You're safe now, so please allow Fushimi or me to escort you to one of our vehicles where medical personnel are waiting."

Keirsten nodded slowly, looking back to Fushimi who (much to everyone's shock) held his hand out for her to take, "Thanks..."

Fushimi personally escorted her to the medics and watched as they gave her a quick look over before cleaning and placing a bandage over a small scrape on her arm, "All good to go, Miss!"

"Thank you," She offered them a friendly smile before walking back over to Fushimi, "You know, most knights in shining armor are only supposed to be in a fairy tale?"

"I'm no knight," Fushimi looked down at her, "My job is to protect people like you against those creatures."

Keirsten's brows furrowed, " _Creatures?_ "

"They're called strains," Fushimi clarified, "They look like regular human beings, but they possess a power that wasn't given to them by a King."

His words fumbled through her mind and she gave a soft sigh, "I'll pretend to know what that all means right now, but once I've stopped mentally freaking out, perhaps you can give me the full details."

Fushimi gave a curt nod, "Were you just getting off work?"

"Yeah," She closed her arms around herself and began rubbing her upper arms, "My manager gave me the next two days off, but I have a feeling now that that was a bad omen," She laughed lightly trying to brighten the mood but the look he gave her caused her to stop, "What?"

"Here," Fushimi slipped his knee-length blue jacket off his shoulders and placed it over her, "Captain Munakata will want to speak with you so until I take you home, this will have to do."

Keirsten's cheeks heated up, "Thanks, Saruhiko."

**\- x -**

Meanwhile, several Blue's had congregated off to the side and began whispering to themselves. Awashima watched them and shook her head, but curiosity got the better of her knowing their subject of conversation was Fushimi and his unusual behavior towards the civilian. She ever so casually made her way over and busied herself so it didn't look as if she were joining in their gossiping, but was close enough to hear each and every word.

"Guys, do you think she's the reason why Fushimi's been somewhat nice to us the last couple of weeks?" Domyouji asked.

Akiyama shrugged, "I'm not sure but I can imagine she may have something to do with it," He observed the two and went slightly wide-eyed like the others when they watched as Fushimi placed his coat over her shoulders, "Are you seeing this?!"

Hidaka and Fuse stood there with their mouths gaping while Domyouji watched with starry eyes, "Fushimi's in love!"

"How the hell can you tell that?!" Kamo asked.

"Because Fushimi's _never_ that polite to anyone!" The young officer defended.

"I wonder if she really is his girlfriend?" Benzai mused, "It would be quite the coincidence if she was, but wouldn't that also make her a target now that she's been seen?"

Awashima nodded to herself at his words while going over some documents while another commented, "Yeah, but we could protect her. I mean, the captain will probably find it amazing that the heartless Fushimi finally found someone to be a normal human being with!"

"This is true," Another agreed, "Hell, maybe she'll even get a position within Scepter 4 to keep Fushimi happy and actually sociable!"

Hidaka scoffed, "I doubt that would happen."

"It could!" Domyouji glared.

Awashima shook her head and sighed inwardly at their far-fetched ideas, handing the documents over to one of the lower soldiers before walking over to Munakata, who had just arrived on the scene and was taking in the entire situation around him.

"I've been told mister Fushimi was the one who put that strain down?" He asked Awashima as nodded, "That woman with him, I'm assuming that she is this rumored girlfriend that we keep hearing of?"

"It would appear so," Awashima confirmed, "Once Fushimi noticed who it was the strain held hostage, he mercilessly went forward and all but destroyed that man."

Munakata looked over to Fushimi and his female companion with a grin, "I see," He began walking towards them and motioned for Awashima to follow him.

**\- x -**

"So this captain of yours, is he a decent person?" Keirsten asked as she and Fushimi sat side by side on the tailgate of one of the many Scepter 4 vehicles, "I've heard a lot of rumors about a man named Reisi Munakata, so I'm assuming we're talking about the same person?"

Fushimi nodded, "The captain doesn't take most things seriously and is often driven by either compulsion or by personal and greedy needs but he knows his job," There was a pause as his brow quirked at the questioning look Keirsten had given him, "What?"

"You don't seem to think too highly of him, that's all," She watched him, "The way you worded it made it seem as if you were just serving him because it was your duty."

"You got that all from a simple sentence?" He asked.

She nodded, "I'm a little bit more perceptive than I might let on."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't question him on a daily basis," Fushimi leaned back against his hands, "I would also be lying if I said I wasn't suspicious of him either, but he accepted me into the Blue Clan shortly after I left HOMRA and made me feel more at home with the type of work I'm comfortable with."

Keirsten looked at him, "HOMRA? What's that?"

"I used to belong to another clan who called themselves HOMRA and is controlled by the Red King, Suoh Mikoto," Fushimi's fingers twitched and soon he reached up for the left side of his chest where he would be permanently scarred, "But I left them to join Scepter 4."

"Do you mind if I ask why?" Her brows furrowed.

She watched him tense but almost immediately relax, "I had my own reasons aside from the boredom of sitting on a bar stool for days on end while some of the others went after other gangs and drug dealers who wandered onto the turf," Her eyes caught sight of his fist clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white, "I had to leave."

"But?" Keirsten frowned when he shot her a questioning glare, "Sorry, you just seemed to stop before you finished your thought."

"It's nothing," He looked away, "Captain Munakata is here."

Keirsten narrowed her eyes at him momentarily but was forced to look ahead when she noticed a rather tall, handsome individual who screamed authority walking up to them. She watched his eyes glance to Fushimi before his azure blues locked onto her.

"How are you, Miss Keirsten?" He stopped a few feet away and watched her closely when she hopped off the tail of the vehicle to fully face him.

She gripped the edges of Fushimi's jacket in her hands as she responded, "Well, I didn't exactly expect to be put in a situation like this today after leaving work but other than that, I'll be okay after a good night's sleep."

"Excellent to hear," He offered her a kind smile, "I understand being told all of what you've learned today can be a lot to bear on the mind, but I must ask you that what you've seen today to please keep it confidential."

Keirsten nodded, "Of course."

"Wonderful," He looked at Fushimi, "I can count on you to escort our young friend home?"

Fushimi nodded and motioned for Keirsten to follow him when a hand on her shoulder stopped her from following him.

"Be sure to contact us should you feel threatened by anything in the next few weeks," Munakata looked down at her, "I will personally see to it that any problems you may have are taken care of."

Keirsten felt her cheeks heat up, "Thank you but, don't worry about it!"

"I insist," He gave her a closed-eyed smile, "Have a good evening, Miss Keirsten."

Fushimi watched the two closely and narrowed his eyes at Munakata, not missing a beat while he lured Keirsten into his little web. Without thinking, he reached out and closed his hand around hers and began pulling her gently in his direction.

Once again, Munakata's facial expression did not go unnoticed as he watched the two. It was if Munakata just confirmed some suspicion he had when Fushimi's hand grasped Keirsten's and it made his blood boil.

"Saruhiko?" She looked up at him as she practically jogged beside him to keep up with his long strides, "Is something wrong?"

He never said a word until the two were far enough away from the scene to be watched or to be heard from anyone around, "Keirsten."

"Yes?" She frowned, wondering if he were going to be mad at her for prodding as she did earlier when they sat together.

Fushimi surprised her by tugging her into an alley before pressing her up against the wall, his lips crashing down on hers without warning. Her eyes flew open in shock for a moment but once the situation settled, she relaxed and let her eyelids slip close.

"I can't stand the idea of him looking at you like that," Fushimi whispered, "Like you're a piece to his puzzle."

Keirsten felt flustered by his sudden advance, "Is that why you just kissed me?"

"Was it wrong of me to do so?" His brow rose in a teasing manner, "Two weeks I've been waiting to do that."

Her cheeks heated up at his words, "While a simple, _"Stay away from him!"_ would have sufficed, I do appreciate the kiss since it's been two long weeks and I've wanted to do that to you as well."

"Well then," Fushimi's lips pulled into a grin, "I suppose I'll have to make time now to go in and visit you at your work more often."

Keirsten looked up at him, "Well, you could do that but then you could also use me as an excuse to get a day or two off? I don't mind being used as a reason to get out of work."

"I'm sure I could work that out somehow," He seemed amused by her words and when she flashed him an innocent smile he leaned down to kiss her once again.


	14. CH XIV - Tatara Totsuka (II) - Endless Possibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! 
> 
> Kyra is honestly one of my favorite OCs, just because of how she fits in with Tatara and gets along with everyone. I made her with the intention of being Tatara's "perfect fit", but also not too over the top that she didn't have her own personality. I hope you enjoy seeing more of her! :)
> 
> NOTE: **There is a bit of violence in this chapter, so you've all been warned!**

"That was very nice of you to put up one of Kyra's pieces in your bar, Izumo," Tatara smiled as he watched Kamamoto and Yata lift the rather large painting up onto the hook seated on the wall, "What made you bend?"

Kusanagi watched and grinned at Tatara, "Let's just say when she was telling me about some of her work and gave me the option to choose one out of the book she'd created as a portfolio, I was won over."

"Like this Kusanagi?" Yata looked at the picky bartender for approval after he and his partner secured the painting on the hook, "Or do we need to fix it?"

Kusanagi gave it a thorough inspection before smiling, "No, that's perfect. Thank you, boys!"

"You're welcome!" Kamamoto grinned before leading Yata to the back to continue with their video games.

Tatara and Kusanagi watched them disappear from sight before looking at one another, "Is she joining us today or are you going to meet her in private?"

"I'd like to bring her here for supper tonight, actually," Tatara smiled, "I think she and Anna should meet and that it would be nice if Anna were to really connect with her after losing so much when we found her," Kusanagi nodded in agreement, "What time were you planning on closing the bar for all of the members tonight, Izumo?"

The bartender shrugged, "Most likely around the usual time, although without you here to help Yata prepare the meals I may close it an hour or two earlier just to give him some extra time."

"Sounds good," Tatara chuckled and pocketed his hands, "Thanks again Izumo, for being so welcoming to her. Kyra was really concerned that she was invading HOMRA's space when she started coming to visit."

"Not at all," Kusanagi smiled before plucking a cigarette out of his breast pocket and lit it with a flick of his finger, "Actually, Mikoto doesn't mind her being around either. Probably has to do with the same reasoning as you have with Anna, because we all know having her around all our boys isn't good for her all the time. Kaori is looking forward to meeting her, too."

"Agreed!" Tatara chuckled, "Well, I'll head out now and go collect my lovely lady friend."

Kusanagi watched Tatara saunter to the door before clearing his throat to catch his attention, "Have you two gone official yet?"

"Oh yes," Tatara looked back over his shoulder with a wide grin, "I get to meet her mother today when I go and pick her up so you could say if I get her mother's approval, that it officially becomes the real thing!"

Kusanagi grinned, "Everyone likes you, so I'm sure her mother will just fall in love with you right away."

Tatara chuckled with a light blush lining his cheeks and waved the bartender off before heading out, closing the door behind him as he ventured out into the chilly spring air.

He'd offered to meet Kyra at the coffee shop not too far away from her own apartment but was easily convinced to go and meet her at her mother's house once the topic was brought up. After being with her for three weeks already, he'd been more than eager to meet her childhood inspiration. Once he arrived, he brought his fist up to knock on the door and adjusted his black coat slightly as he waited. Not even a minute later the door opened to reveal a smiling Kyra, who by the looks of it, had rushed to the door due to her chest rising and falling somewhat quickly.

"Come on in, Tatara!" She stepped aside for him to come in and gently pulled his jacket from his shoulders while he kicked his boots off, "Are you excited? Mum is, that's for sure."

"Of course I am!" Tatara grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead quickly before allowing his happy brunette lead him down a hall, "And what do I call the lovely lady I'm about to meet?"

"Her name is Naoko," She smiled over her shoulder to him and headed through the doorway leading to a very large kitchen, "Here he is, mum!"

Tatara followed her in closely and smiled brightly while waving as a shorter, plump woman turned around to face them both.

She returned his smile with a friendly bright one of her own and already Tatara could tell where Kyra got her personality from. The woman had the same warm grey eyes and a pale complexion like Kyra had and had her darker brunette hair in a high messy bun on top of her head.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Tatara," She reached out to offer her hand to him, "I'm Naoko Schmitt! It's a pity that this couldn't have waited a week longer, but I suppose when my husband comes home you'll just have to come over and have dinner with us."

Tatara chuckled and took her hand in his own giving it a firm shake, "The pleasure is all mine! And I would love that!" He looked from Naoko to Kyra, "Kyra told me that your husband is in France at the moment," When she nodded to confirm, Tatara's hand flew up to the back of his head to ruffle his hair a bit, "That's incredible that you two were brought together when you went there yourself!"

Naoko blushed and shot Kyra, who was smiling innocently, a quick teasing glare before facing Tatara, "I was young and wanted to do photography, but I knew when I entered that building that things were going to change," She smiled and offered Tatara a drink before they all took a seat at the table, "When you meet that one person you're meant to be with, it just happens and works for no apparent reason despite the differences or where you're from."

"Mm, I agree," Tatara nodded, "Pardon me for sounding so bold but, I felt like that when I saw Kyra in the park that day. I had no intentions on going out for a walk that morning, but my feet carried me to her."

Kyra's face went red while she watched her mother and Tatara gaze at one another with starry eyes at all of the fond memories and fateful unions. Inwardly, she was extremely pleased that they were getting along so well even though her she had a feeling they would, but seeing them like this was so very reassuring.

"I would offer you some tea but Kyra tells me she's off to visit with your friends?" Naoko's head tilted to the side slightly.

Tatara nodded, "She was invited to have dinner with all of my friends, although they're more like family," He chuckled, "She's met almost all of them individually but I think she's ready to meet the more rowdy few of the group."

"I'm sure she'll do just fine," Naoko grinned, "Well, I won't hold you two any longer! Have fun and be sure to come over for supper any time you'd like Tatara."

**\- x -**

During the walk back to the bar, Tatara continued with his many stories about all of the different clansmen and how they found HOMRA. He would explain the circumstances that lead them to where they were in life and also how they came to fully respect the way of the Red King and his understanding nature towards those who, like him, had a little extra _fire_ to let loose.

"Should we stop and grab a dessert?" Kyra looked at Tatara, "I feel kind of bad for just going in there for dinner and not having something to contribute?"

Tatara smiled, "There's no need, Izumo already has everything prepared."

"If you say," She winked and continued walking with him.

The two remained in a comfortable silence as they continued their venture to the bar, not noticing that they were currently being followed. Tatara eventually decided that he agreed with Kyra to bring something with them for the rest of the boys, and so they veered off to go to one of his favorite specialty stores. Once finished collecting a batch of freshly made cookies and a small pie that Tatara picked knowing Anna would be the one to appreciate it, they continued on their way back to the bar.

"Alright, it's finally around the time that Izumo wanted us back so let's head out," Tatara settled the decorated box with their purchases in one arm while taking her hand into his other as he led her out into the chilly evening, "So, are you excited? Your meeting with HOMRA's little princess is fast approaching!"

Kyra giggled and stuck her tongue out at him, "You'll make me even more nervous if you keep that up."

"Sorry, I just can't help myself~" Tatara sighed dramatically.

"Hey, you two!" Someone called from behind, drawing both of their attention to a man who was quickly approaching them, "Can you help me, please!"

Tatara frowned, "What's wrong?"

The man seemed flustered and anxious as he waved his hands back in the direction he'd come from, "Please, we have to hurry! My friend," He began turning but looked over his shoulders to see if they were coming, his eyes wide and wild looking, "My friend's been hurt and I need help! Please, just come!"

Tatara felt Kyra's hand grip his tightly but nodded slowly nevertheless, "Alright, show us the way."

"Tatara..." Kyra whispered, her eyes glancing to him as they hastily followed the man down the street, "I don't have a good feeling about this."

He shot her a reassuring smile, "I'll protect you no matter what, Kyra. You have my word."

That was enough to settle her worries, or at least until they ended up walking down a dark alleyway behind the man who had suddenly become calm. He walked ahead of the pair at a normal pace rather than the worried, rushed, ground covering strides from before. Tatara's eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing while they walked behind him while Kyra continuously looked behind them to see if they were being followed.

When they turned down another long stretch of the alley that went deeper from the opening and from anyone who may see them, three men suddenly began following them.

Kyra gripped Tatara's arm tightly, "There are people following us..."

"I know," Tatara gave her hand a squeeze, "Just stay close to me and when I tell you to close your eyes, close them for me, alright?"

She nodded quickly at his request without hesitation.

"So this friend of yours," Tatara called out to the man who had been leading them and watched as he stopped once spoken to, "Whereabouts is he?"

Kyra frowned deeply once the man's shoulders began to shake with laughter, "I always enjoy seeing beautiful, young couples like you," He slowly turned around and smirked at the two, "You always seem to be the most gullible and eager to help," His tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip while his eyes wandered over Kyra's body, "I love it."

Kyra bit her bottom lip and felt a tremor rake through her body as Tatara took a protective step in front of her, "You don't need to do this," He began, "Whatever it is you and your companions behind us want, just tell us and then we can be on our way."

"We want your lady friend," He snickered, "Willing to give her up so easily, are ya now?"

Tatara frowned, "Do you plan on killing me to get to her?"

"If that's what it takes, yes."

The two behind them, now close enough to be a part of the conversation, smirked and slowly began circling the couple.

Tatara, who was normally the peacekeeper and someone who would rather use words than threaten with his flames, eyed the three men now standing in his view and took a deep breath.

"I'll give you all one last chance to back down now," Tatara looked at each and every one of the men before carefully handing their purchased baked goods to a trembling Kyra, "Please don't make me hurt you all."

The alleyway suddenly filled with loud, obnoxious laughter as the three held their stomachs.

"Y-you?!" The one who led them into the trap spouted out between breaths, "You look like a God damned pussy, so why don't you cut the shit and just hand over the broad?"

Tatara inhaled deeply before lifting his now free hand up and all eyes went wide, watching as bright red flames consumed his entire appendage. The three men quickly cut their laughter and began backing up slightly, the sheer look of terror completely exposed in their eyes.

"H-He's a part of HOMRA..." One of them said in a shaky voice, "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

One of the others nodded and swiftly turned on his heel to run after his partner, leaving the man who led them into the trap standing there on his own to face a member of the most feared clan in Shizume City.

Kyra watched with wide eyes as he quickly produced a pistol and aimed at Tatara. There were only seconds between his pulling of the trigger and the instant reaction of her feet surging forward when everything went still.

The sound of the gun being fired echoed loudly in the tight alleyway and the cry of not one, but two men were heard. There was a moment when all that could be heard was the faint sound of a body hitting the ground before it all went dark.

**\- x -**

It took only fifteen minutes after a heart-stopping phone call for the entirety of HOMRA to rush into the hospital and fluster several nurses while asking (rudely) where Kyra and Tatara were located. Once they were given a number, each member ambushed two elevators and stuffed themselves inside while those who couldn't fit rushed for the stairwell.

"Tatara!"

Tired light brown eyes looked over to the door as several HOMRA members attempted to rush in all at once, only succeeding in jamming their bodies together in the small entrance.

"Get the fuck out of the way!" Yata yelled angrily from the other side of the door.

Tatara blinked as the members caught in the doorway came hurdling inside, managing a small smile at the sight of Yata's foot in mid-air.

Before anyone else could walk in, Mikoto made his way inside with Kusanagi and Anna hot on his tail.

"What happened?" Mikoto looked from a distressed, tired looking Tatara over to a sleeping Kyra who had just been released from critical care after stabilizing, "Why did they shoot her?"

Tatara frowned and looked down at his knees, "It's like I said on the phone... We trailed behind a man who wanted our help, but it turned out that he and his companions were busy looking for easy women to capture," He exhaled and gripped his pant legs tightly until his knuckles turned white, "When he turned the pistol on me, she jumped out in front of me to take the bullet before I could even react."

"That bastard," Yata growled, "Can you describe him for me? I'll go beat his face in for Kyra!"

There a pregnant pause, and suddenly Mikoto's eyes narrowed down on his more compassionate, peace-loving clansman.

"You killed him, didn't you?"

Everyone went silent as they waited for his answer.

Tatara slowly nodded his head, "I lost it," He looked up towards his King with glassy eyes, "For the first time in my life I lost it."

"Don't feel guilty, Tatara," Kusanagi walked over and laid a hand on his younger clansman's shoulder.

Tatara looked up at him, "I didn't really give him a chance," His voice was shaky as if he were holding back a sob, "I... I wasn't myself..."

"Stop beating yourself up. You did what any one of us would have done in your situation," Mikoto's voice caused him to look up at him while the Red King's eyes were locked on Kyra's still form, "You must really love her for _you_ of all people to crack."

Despite the harshness of his tone, Tatara realized that was meant as a form of condolence towards what happened. He felt his lips tug at the corners and pull into the tiniest of smiles, nodding to the Red King's question to confirm what they all already knew.

"When will she be allowed to leave?" Kamamoto asked, looking from Kyra to Tatara.

"We were able to see the doctor that tends to all of you when you are brought in and as long as we promise to keep her under constant supervision, she'll be allowed to leave in three days pending her condition at the time," Tatara said as he stood up.

Kusanagi and Tatara began making arrangements for a room to be prepared in case she needed to travel back to HOMRA with a few IV bags of medication or what have you, not noticing as Anna walked over to the bed and crawled up.

Mikoto glanced over to see Anna shuffle her way up towards the head of the bed and watched as she laid down beside her sleeping form, noticing the way she curled up on her side with her head beside Kyra's on the pillow. When Anna's eyes closed, Mikoto looked back towards his two closest friends to continue listening to their planning.

"So it's settled then," Kusanagi looked at Mikoto, "She'll stay in the room on the other side of Anna's so she's close enough to both Tatara and you in case something happens. That, and we have Kaori and Reina to help take care of her."

Mikoto sighed at the idea of being volunteered for babysitting duty but made no objections, "Sure. I'll call Kaori and let her know what's going on so she can let Reina know, too."

Tatara offered a thankful smile, "Thank you, King."

"I'm sure I won't be the one watching her, though," Mikoto motioned to the bed and the room instantly warmed up, "Anna has taken a liking to her."

Tatara looked over and felt his heart swell, "Kyra had been so worried about Anna disliking her, that she'd probably cry and hug the poor girl to death if she knew Anna was cuddled up to her like that."

"Well, I'd say she'll be in good hands, then," Kusanagi chuckled.

**\- x -**

"You're so sweet," Kyra grinned as Kaori walked beside her and Tatara, "Coming to meet us at the hospital when I got discharged. You didn't have to do that."

Kaori grinned back, "It's no trouble at all. Besides, it was nice to finally meet you despite the circumstance."

Tatara watched the two with a bright smile on his face and let the two girls chat the entire way back to HOMRA. When they got there, Kaori insisted that she go in first, standing off to the side to hold the door open for the two as Tatara helped Kyra up the steps. 

"Surprise!"

Kyra's eyes went wide as she and Tatara entered the bar, "Oh, you guys are too much!"

Tatara grinned, "I tried to talk them out of it, but they all insisted on throwing you a bit of a celebratory party for your increasing health and the fact you're out of the hospital!"

"Well, I appreciate it! I guess aside from the medication keeping me pain-free, I really needed this to help me cheer up," Kyra smiled.

Her eyes wandered to the bundle of cuteness that rushed over to her and reached up to grab her hand, "I helped Yata make something special for you," Anna looked up at Kyra, "Will you come have some with me?"

"Of course!" Kyra grinned brightly and allowed Anna to pull her away from Tatara, following the excited child as fast as her battered body would allow.

The whole group watched with smiles, soon dishing out the food and beginning their celebration. Even the Red King himself had a small smile as he too joined in the supper, secretly enjoying the sight of Tatara's bright smile returning to his face and the fact that his clan members were once again safe.


	15. CH XV - Anna Kushina & The Girls (I) - Surprises

"Are you sure you're okay to come with me today? I mean, it hasn't been very long since the incident," Reina looked back at Kyra as the two lead Anna into the toy store, "I'm surprised that Tatara let you out of his sight, more than anything actually."

Kyra smiled, "It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to let me come as long as I kept a hold of Anna's hand and promised not to go out both of your guys' sight," She said, giving Anna's hand a gentle squeeze.

Satisfied with that answer, Reina grinned and lead them deeper into the store. They looked around the entire children area and made their way to the girl's section, scanning all of the stuffed animals hoping to find one for Anna. The girl in question looked around as well until her eyes landed on a rather large stuffed bunny, looking back at Reina while pointing up at it.

"Uh..." Reina's eyes went big at the sight of it, "That's enormous! It's over five feet tall!"

"Yes, but I think she wants that one," Kyra giggled as she held her still tender stomach gently, "Should we call one of the boys to come and get it?"

"Nah," Reina suddenly grinned and easily heaved it off the counter, "Yata's been teaching me self defense so I've gotten pretty strong."

Kyra deadpanned, "Yata's teaching you how to fight?"

"Yeah!" Reina looked at her with a spitting image of said russet's smirk, "He says I'll be ready to go against Rikio soon!"

With a shake of her head, Kyra giggled and simply smiled, "I can't wait to see that," Taking Anna's hand, the three made their way towards the cash with the giant stuffed bunny, "You know, that's probably taller than Yata."

"Most likely," Reina agreed easily, "We'll have to measure it when we get back to HOMRA."

Once the bunny was paid for and Anna was beaming with excitement, the three made their way outside towards the pick-up truck Reina was given for her birthday by her mother.

"Oh look," Kyra pointed towards another car with a familiar lady getting out, "It's Kaori!"

Reina struggled to look over the humongous stuffed toy and smiled brightly, "Kaori!" When they caught her attention, said woman waved with her own bright smile.

"I see you guys have been doing some shopping," Kaori said with amusement as she walked over to meet the three, "Should I ask if it's for Anna or for Tatara?"

Anna walked over and took Kaori's hand gently in her own while looking up at her, "They got it for me as an early birthday gift."

"Really?" Kaori blinked, "How sweet!" She smiled and reached down to stroke Anna's soft silver locks, "May I ask why you need such a huge bunny?"

"Mikoto says now that I have a larger bed, I look like a little puppy just laying in the middle," All eyes fell on Anna and suddenly they all deadpanned, "So he said I should get something to cuddle with so I don't get lost in the sheets."

Kyra and Reina looked at one another before looking at Kaori, "He's yours."

"I know," Kaori sighed, "Well Anna, I think you took his words too literally but I think you made a good choice!" She leaned in to further inspect her purchase, "Stuffed toys are much easier to deal with than a man taking a tantrum."

All three bore grins knowing that their boys, well aside from Tatara, had tempers and frequently lost their cool. Especially Yata.

"So, what are you doing at a toy store?" Reina asked, after taking a break from stuffing the over-size bunny into the back of her truck.

Kaori watched with a grin, "Well, I was coming here to pick Anna up a gift but since she's already here and can read my mind, it won't be a surprise now."

"True!" Reina giggled, "I'm surprised you didn't drag Mikoto with you?"

Kaori shot her a look, "You really think I could drag Mikoto into a toy store, let alone into a department covered with pink and girly things? He'd look miserable and make all of the other customers miserable while he was miserable because he was forced to come with me and became miserable. He's just miserable," The girls laughed at her dramatic comment while she smiled, "Nah, he was busy. Something about having to go after some guy that threatened Izumo, although I think I would be more afraid of him than the King," Kaori grinned, "We all know what Izumo's like when he's mad."

Reina frowned and over-exaggerated a shudder, "Yeah, he's terrifying."

"Oh wow!" All eyes looked over to Meira as she approached quickly while pulling Akira behind her, "What a coincidence! The gang's all here!"

"Aside from Keirsten," Reina pointed out with a smile, "But she's working today."

"Damn," Meira frowned, "We could have all gone for lunch! This would be the very first time we were all out with Anna, _without_ the boys! It could have been great!"

"We still can," Kaori smiled, leaning down to pick Anna up, "Then that way I can say that I had lunch with all of the _A_ 's'."

"Huh?" Kyra blinked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaori grinned, "Ever noticed your names all end with 'a'? They all rhyme, too!"

"Kyra, Akira, Meira, and Reina," Reina murmured, "She's right!"

"And then we have Kaori and Anna," Akira added, "The two odd ones out."

Kyra smiled, "They get to the be the odd ones out," They all looked at her, "After all, they both are the Red Clan's royalty."

"I hate it when you say that," Kaori sighed, "Just because I got coined the  _Red Queen_ doesn't mean anything aside from the fact that I'm with Mikoto."

Reina smirked, "You mean, _sleeping with Mikoto_."

Kaori's cheeks flared, "Let's not talk about my sex life, please."

"Why not?" Meira suddenly joined in, "That's what girls do! We discuss these things!"

"Not in front of Anna, we don't!" Kyra frowned, "She's only eleven!"

Akira walked up and stroked Anna's hair as her greeting, "She's right, we can't have Anna curious about these things at such a young age. It's not appropriate."

"Yes, _mum_ ," Kyra caught Akira's glare and felt her lips slowly tug into a sly grin, "Taking Izumo's place today, are you?"

Akira gave an indignant snort, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's like the dad-friend to all of those boys," Kyra giggled, "And you two are so fit for each other that you seem to sponge off each other's quirks and habits. You've become like him in that sense, that you automatically step up to be the guardian whenever he's not around."

"I can't help it," Akira finally smiled, "He's just got that way about him."

Kyra nodded, "Tatara, too."

"That's it then!" Reina smirked, "We're going for lunch! It's time to have a girly talk about the boys!" Her eyes met Kyra's and then Akira's, "Not the fun kind, anyway."

**\- x -**

Anna sat quietly beside Kaori while sipping at her milkshake, watching as all of the girls piled into a booth with their own beverages. Reina, Akira, and Kyra sat across the table while Anna, Meira, and Kaori sat opposite.

"So, Izumo tells me that you and Mikoto are officially Anna's guardians?" Akira and Kyra both turned to Kaori, "How does that work?" 

Kaori smiled, "Well, originally when Anna first came to stay with us at HOMRA, I agreed to sign the papers and become her legal guardian and parent, but at the time they needed a second signature so Mikoto agreed to sign, too. Izumo was the one who opted to sign the forms as a secondary, so she would have another guardian to go to if anything happens to both me and Mikoto," She suddenly grinned, "Although, I don't think we'd have to worry about that considering she's HOMRA's little princess. No one would let her go without."

Reina nodded in agreement, "That's for sure!"

"Out of curiosity since we're on that topic, how long have you and Mikoto been together, anyway?" Akira looked at Kaori, "Izumo said you two have been together for a really long time, but he never told me much after that. I mean, you two must be pretty secure with yourselves to adopt Anna without even being married."

Kaori sat back and smiled, "We're on the cusp of eight long years, now," She gently gripped the straw to her drink and stirred it around a bit, "He told me that once we hit our actual anniversary, that's when he's going to ask me to marry him so now I'm just patiently waiting for that to happen."

Kyra choked on her drink as Reina and Akira stared at her in silence.

"He told you he was going to propose?" Akira slowly processed what Kaori said and shook her head, "Nothing subtle about that man, is there?"

Kaori giggled, "No, not really," She took a sip of her drink and grinned, "I don't mind, though. It was only a matter of time! As for the situation with Anna, there was a lot that happened before and after she became a permanent member of the family. We worked through a lot after all of that went down, but we finally agreed on adopting her even after Izumo offered to sign with me instead."

The five shared in the laughter as the conversations turned to a lighter topic while Anna continued to listen closely, a small smile on her face at the fact they truly were enjoying themselves in their own environment. She had asked Kyra once before what it was like to spend time with female friends, so it was a pleasant experience for the young strain to actually see for herself rather than depend on the words of another.

"Yata seems to be experiencing a lot of new changes?" Kaori looked at Reina, "He seems like he's become a brand new person since you've been with him."

Reina smiled brightly, "My awesome personality is rubbing off on his cocky attitude so that doesn't surprise me."

"Is that so?" Kyra grinned, "Seems like you both have a cocky personality."

"Now that she's out of her shell, she does," Meira giggled, "She's never been shy but now it's like having two Yata's at the bar, only one goes through a week each month where it becomes craziness."

Reina gave her the thumbs up and winked at Meira, "Damn right!"

"Akira," Kyra looked at her, "How did you and Izumo come to be together?"

Akira finished her drink before answering, "It was a scary time when I found that bar and sat down in front of him. He talked to me without prejudice and let me tell him everything I needed to, and once my life was threatened after my psychotic ex-boyfriend came to hurt me, Izumo saved me."

"What a beautiful ending," Kyra sighed happily, "Such horrible a situation bringing you both together like that, it's so lovely!"

"Okay, _Tatara_ ," Kaori smirked, "I think you two have spent way too much time together."

"No!" Kyra frowned, "It's not that! I just love watching all of the happy couples, that's all! Tatara and I are always complimenting all of you guys~"

Akira felt her cheeks warm, "You are?"

"Of course," Kyra smiled at her.

Kaori looked at her and nodded in agreement with Kyra, "It's nice to finally see Izumo settling down with one girl, instead of flirting over the counter with all of the ladies that come in just to try and get a good night's ride with him. He's a good man, and I'm happy you were brought to him."

Reina and Meira clapped their hands at her words in agreement, "That's right!"

"You're one of us now, so there's no going back," Kaori smiled, "No need for you to be nervous or awkward when it comes to joining us at the bar for suppers."

"Thank you," Akira smiled back softly, "That means a lot."

Anna looked up at Akira and smiled small, "Will you be joining HOMRA?"

"Never gave it any thought, actually," Akira looked at her, "But if Mikoto extends the offer, then yes, I will."

Kaori stroked Anna's hair gently with a smile still on her face, "I'm sure he will once you've become more comfortable around us. Besides," She winked at Akira, "I can always put in a good word."

Akira blushed, "I hope so."

Meira suddenly lifted her glass, "To the mighty women of HOMRA!"

"That's right!" Reina grinned brightly and hoisted her glass up, "The mighty girls with their might guys!"

Excluding Akira, all four of the others cheered.

Anna looked up at Kaori and gently tugged at her shirt to grab her attention, "Kaori..."

"Yes?" The older woman looked down and smiled at her, "What's up?"

"Kyra has something funny in her stomach," Anna whispered, "It looks like a marble that won't disappear and moves on its own."

Kaori blinked and then looked at Kyra, "A marble?" Her eyes traveled to where the lower half of her stomach would be visible if not for the table obscuring and then looked back down at Anna while pointing to her lower abdomen, "Right around here, right?"

"Yes," Anna nodded.

"Oh," Kaori inhaled deeply and looked right at Kyra.

_I wonder if she knows?_

The topic of conversation drifted several times between the group, going from their lovers to the meals they were planning on making at home. Anna continued to eye Kyra's lower belly for a while until finally hey grey eyes landed on the curious child.

"Something wrong, Anna?" Kyra blinked, "You look like you're pretty deep in thought."

Anna looked up at her, "Can you feel it?"

"Huh?" Kyra blinked, "Feel what?"

Akira, Reina, and Meira looked from Anna to the confused Kyra before looking back at Anna. Kaori in the meanwhile, continued to smile and lean back against the cushioned back of their booth.

"That marble in your lower belly," Anna pointed, "Can you feel it?"

"Marble?" Kyra frowned slightly and reached down to touch her lower abdomen, "I don't see a mar– _Oh._ "

Reina went wide-eyed while Meira went silent. Akira stared at her for a moment before looking at Anna. 

"Should we go make an appointment with the doctor, Kyra?" Kaori asked with a smile, "I can go with you if you wish to keep it a secret from Tatara for a little while longer, or at least until you have confirmation."

Kyra nodded slowly while she continued to stare at her stomach, "Wow..." She looked up after a moment, "Well..." A huge grin broke out on her face, "This explains why I've been having cravings for things I normally don't eat!"

Akira and Reina sat awkwardly beside Kyra as she laughed happily, not at all bothered by the sudden revelation of her pregnancy. Meira matched her grin and giggled at her excitement, while Anna and Kaori watched silently.

"How should I tell Tatara?" Kyra looked at Kaori, "Surely you all know how he'll react, but how should I tell him?"

"You could always do one of those cute little gift boxes with a piece of white card that says something on it?" Meira offered, "I've seen it on the television before where a woman handed something to her husband and the card inside read, "Honey, you're going to be a daddy," and it was beautiful to watch his reaction."

Kyra nodded, "I could do that."

"Why not just come out with it?" Akira looked at her, "Surely we would all want to see his reaction when you spill the beans."

Reina nodded with a grin, "Yeah! It would be priceless, that's for sure!"

"What do you think, Anna?" Kyra looked at her and smiled, "Since you're the one who discovered my little miracle, what do you think I should do?"

Anna looked up at her with her huge crimson eyes and offered a small smile, "Tell Tatara when we go back?"

"It's settled then!" Reina's fist shot up into the air, "I can't wait to see his face! I'll be sure to record it all!"

Meira giggled and nodded, "Me too!"

After paying for their drinks, the girls left the small cafe and headed back to the bar. Upon arrival, Reina rustled the over sized stuffed bunny from the back of the truck and followed the others into the bar.

"We're hommeeee~" Reina smirked as soon as she watched all of the boys' happy expressions turn into confused and shocked, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Meira walked over to Kamamoto and hugged his waist as he continued to stare at the stuffed toy, "It's... It's bigger than Yata?"

"No, it's not!" Yata glared, storming over to retrieve the mammoth sized bunny from his lover, "See! I'm bigger!"

Anna walked over to Yata and looked up at him as he held her present, "I think it's bigger than you."

Yata gave an indignant snort as everyone burst into laughter at the poor vanguards expense. Reina walked over and kissed his cheek as some form of condolence, but the aggravated boy crossed his arms in a huff and glared at nothing in particular.

"So," Kusanagi leaned against the counter as Akira approached and took a seat on one of the cushioned stools, "Who exactly was the one who caved and let Anna get that thing?"

Akira looked at him and shrugged, "When Meira and I arrived at the store, Reina was already trying to stuff it into the back of her truck."

"It was Reina and Kyra who caved," Kaori giggled as she walked over to Mikoto and gave him a quick kiss, "They made the mistake of letting Anna choose, because _someone_ told her she was too tiny for her bed."

Mikoto looked at his drink, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," Kaori grinned and pinched his cheek affectionately, "The King is always innocent, after all."

Kusanagi looked over to see Kamamoto take the bunny from Yata and placed it on the leather sofa into a sitting position while Anna ran up and took a seat beside it, "I can't believe she wanted that," He gave his head a shake and chuckled, "Seems she's more a child than she lets on sometimes."

"She was forced to be an adult," Akira watched Anna with a smile, "Being the tracker of HOMRA, that's a lot of pressure for someone so young."

"I agree," Kaori said, "She hasn't had much of a chance to be a child, even before she came to us."

Mikoto looked passed Kaori's shoulder towards Anna and blinked, "Where are we going to put that?"

"In her room," Kaori grinned, "You know, on her bed so it can take almost the entire thing for her."

Mikoto snorted and went back to his drink, "Uh huh."

During the entire ruckus, Kyra had silently made her way over to Tatara. He had been sitting at one of the tables watching the entire show with a smile on his face, enjoying the fact that for the first time ever the entire group was complete.

"Tatara," Kyra walked over to him as she played with her fingers, "I... I have something to tell you."

Tatara frowned, immediately worried about her because of their recent endeavors, "You're not in any pain, are you?" He stood up fast and reached for her, placing his hands on her shoulders carefully, "You didn't overdo it today?"

"Well, not exactly," Kyra felt her cheeks heat up, "I don't know how to say this any other way, but..."

Tatara's brows furrowed, "It's not something bad, is it?"

From a distance, Reina's harsh whispers could be heard as she silenced all of the other members. Kyra quickly scanned the bar and noticed all eyes were on her, not missing the fact that Reina had both of her hands clamped over Yata's mouth to keep him quiet and Meira was gripping Kamamoto's arm with an excited grin.

Once her eyes landed on Akira and Kaori, she felt a sense of calm wash over her to see them both giving her reassuring smiles.

"Tatara," She turned around to face him again and reached for his hand, "You know I love you to the moon and back, right?"

He nodded and let her take his hand in hers, "Yes, of course," His head tilted to the side and a mixture of curiosity and worry became apparent on his face, "Kyra, are you sure everything is alright?"

Her eyes met his and suddenly, she gave him the prettiest and most loving smile he'd ever seen on her features. It made his heart flutter and his stomach twist in the excited knots he welcomed with open arms.

"What would you say to the idea of starting a family?" Her tone was hesitant but the smile never left her face.

Her free hand moved and caught Tatara's eyes, watching as she cupped her lower belly seemed to caress it fondly.

No one moved or even uttered a word as their eyes trailed down to where Kyra was holding, and suddenly the entire atmosphere in the bar stilled.

Tatara reached his other hand up and cupped her cheek, his hazel eyes wide when they met hers, "You're..." She bit her bottom lip and watched as the bottom line of his eyes began to pool with happy tears that matched the excited smile on his face, "I'm going to be a father?!"

Kaori smiled brightly as she watched Tatara hoist Kyra up into the air and spun in circles with her tightly wrapped in his arms. The boys burst out into happy cheers and clapped at the news.

"S-She's pregnant?!" Yata spluttered after releasing himself from Reina's grip, "Tatara!"

Mikoto and Kusanagi both looked over with sly smirks on their faces, "You sly dog."

"It's a miracle!" Tatara set Kyra down gently but never let her go, "I mean, she survived a gunshot to the stomach and she was able to hold onto our baby," He looked down at her and brushed the bangs from her eyes, "Our baby... I can't believe we're going to be parents."

Kyra nodded and leaned up to kiss him, "We're going to be parents!"

Anna, who had quietly been watching from the couch, hopped off and padded her way over to Kaori and Mikoto.

"Kaori?" Anna looked up at Kaori with her big eyes, "Will you and Mikoto have a baby, too?"

"Probably," Mikoto was the one who answered, causing Kusanagi to grin and Kaori to look at him with wide eyes, "What? The way we go at it, I'm surprised you haven't gotten pregnant yet."

Kaori deadpanned despite the redness of her cheeks, "Well sorry, but every time you _go_ , it's like liquid fire and quite frankly I'd be surprised if that fire power of yours didn't burn the little bastards to death before they even got a chance."

Akira covered her ears, "Ahhh! Too much information about someone who's not my boyfriend!"

"I have to agree on that one," Kusanagi chuckled, "Even I have a limit."

Mikoto shrugged, "It's the truth."

"If you have a baby, will you have a girl?" Anna asked quietly.

Kaori reached down and picked her up, "I don't know, love," She smiled and brushed a few hairs away from her face, "I can't really control what I have, but all I know is that you'll be an amazing older sister to whatever we have."

"Older sister?" Anna smiled, "I've always wanted a sibling."

"I'm sure Kyra and Tatara's little one will think of you as an older sister, too," Kaori smiled down at Anna.

Mikoto watched Kaori and Anna closely and eyed the little HOMRA princess scoot over to Tatara after being set down on her feet, "Kaori," She turned to him when he called her name and blinked, "Do you want a kid?"

"Maybe," She answered honestly as she allowed Mikoto to wrap an arm around her and pull her to him, "But I think one baby born to HOMRA will be enough for now. Anna is like my little girl anyway, so I wouldn't want to take away from her if we had our own."

"A yes or no is preferred," Mikoto smiled at her, "You can be honest, Kaori."

She looked at him and reached up to pat his cheek, "I would love to have one eventually. However," A teasing grin pulled at her lips, "I don't think the world is ready for a miniature you, Mikoto. Not yet, at least." 

"You're probably right," He chuckled softly, "That would be a scary sight, wouldn't it?"

She nodded and pressed a kiss against his cheek, "It would be a very cute baby, though. Especially if it had your red hair."

"Runs strong in my family, so there would be a possibility."

Kusanagi cleared his throat to draw their attention and grinned at the two, "Are you two planning on having a baby, or are you just going to steal Kyra and Tatara's once it's born?"

"I haven't decided yet," Kaori winked.

Akira grinned and sipped at her drink, "We both know that you'll be all over that baby."

"Shh," Kaori brought a finger up to her lips and winked, "You don't know that!"

"Of course we do!" Kyra popped out of no where, "And I'm demanding you help me with my little bundle of joy!"

Kaori looked at her and smiled brightly, "Of course."

"Wait, so..." Everyone looked back at Yata, "Where in the hell are we going to house a baby?"

"We'll get an apartment obviously," Tatara was beaming, "Or, we'll just bunk here for a few months instead~"

Yata glared, "We're too loud here for a baby to stay in the living quarters!"

"Then you and Reina will just have to quiet down on your nightly rituals," Kyra grinned over to him.

Yata's face instantly turned red, "S-Shut up!"

"Oh, would you stop acting like you're a nervous wreck!" Reina slapped his back hard, "You're a man, now!"

Kamamoto and Chitose laughed at Yata, who continued to splutter and frown at his girlfriend.

"Alright everyone," Kusanagi caught everyone's attention, "Lets have a celebratory drink and then everyone get out!" He smirked as a chorus of complaints flooded over the entire area, "I know, I know. I'm a horrible person but it's getting late and our princess needs to settle in with her new friend for the night."

Kaori looked over to the stuffed bunny again, "Yeah, if she can actually find a spot for herself to sleep."

"If not, she'll just have to crawl in with you," Tatara grinned as he walked up, wrapping his arms around Kyra and gave the side of her head an affectionate nuzzle.

"Not happening," Mikoto sank back his drink and looked at the over-joyous couple, "Tonight's a bad night."

Kusanagi shook his head, "You only think with your second head, don't you?"

"That's not entirely true," Mikoto glared at Kusanagi, "But you should know better than anyone what laying beside a beautiful woman does for you."

"Ah," Kusanagi looked at Akira and smiled, "That I do."

Once the room settled down and drinks were passed out, everyone enjoyed another couple hours of pleasant chatter until bodies began flooding out of the bar after waving their goodbyes.

"Alright, we're heading to bed," Reina smiled and took Yata's hand before turning to Tatara and Kyra, "Have a good night and be sure to snuggle really close together tonight, you two!"

"Oh, I will!" Tatara, still a ray of sunshine, hugged Kyra from behind and squeezed gently, "You two have a good night, as well."

Once the two disappeared upstairs, Kyra and Tatara prepared to leave and put their coats on, "I think someone's ready for bed," She giggled and smiled at the way Anna was slumped in Kaori's arms with a happy smile on her face, "She really likes you, doesn't she?"

"We've been through a lot, her and I," Kaori said fondly, running her fingers through the silvery locks, "She may not be my biological daughter, but she's still my little girl."

Kyra walked over and stroked Anna's cheek gently, "I agree," She smiled at Kaori, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Kaori grinned, "Have a _fun_ night~"

Kyra winked before turning and walking back to Tatara. As the door closed behind the two, Kaori looked back Mikoto who had already hoisted the large bunny over his shoulder and was heading to the stairs.

Kusanagi walked around the bar and fixed the collar of his jacket, "We'll be back in the morning a little earlier than usual because of my order coming in, so if you hear anything it's just us," Kaori nodded and wished Kusanagi and Akira a good night, "You too."

Kaori made her way upstairs and slipped into Anna's room quietly, "You know," She drew Mikoto's attention to her when he finished setting the stuffed animal on the bed, "Next time you tell Anna something, try not to make it so literal."

"What would be the fun in that?" Mikoto smirked and walked up to her, leaning down to gently kiss her lips, "I'll meet you in the room."

Kaori rolled her eyes and nodded with a smile, "Yeah, yeah. Shoo!"

Mikoto chuckled and exited the room so that Kaori could slip Anna out of her red dress and into something more comfortable. When she laid her down and tucked her in, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Anna's forehead.

"Sometimes I wonder what it is you dream about," Kaori whispered to herself, "Maybe one day I'll find out but until then, sweet dreams."


	16. CH XVI - Mikoto Suoh (II) - Living Temptation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally not very happy with the way this one turned out, but now that I'm editing it, I'm starting to see why I posted it. 
> 
> Also, **this, and the first half of this one shot, both lineup so it's set after "Anna Kushina & the Girls" going out.** :)
> 
> Another fact I want to point out is there is a sequel series that I wrote specifically for Kaori and Mikoto, called "Pieces of Me", that I will eventually upload onto here, that strays a little from these flashbacks but line up better with more backstory. For those of you who have read all of my series on Fanfiction before, you'll understand what I mean! :)

There were two times in his life that Mikoto regretted not fulfilling the need of his lover, and it had been the result of the second incident that made him realize what she truly meant to him. He'd often let his pride best him, putting his own needs before hers until finally, they would butt heads. The first time he pushed her away was five months after they had been together during high school, around the time that Kusanagi was set to graduate and take over his uncle's bar. To Mikoto, the idea of having a friend with a place that no one would follow him made it seem a lot more appealing at the time, and so he left after school hours immediately to join his older friend the bar, HOMRA. When Tatara had taken it upon himself to bring Kaori to HOMRA with the intentions of letting her confront Mikoto, he revealed to Kusanagi that he didn't want her around in fear of him endangering her, so she left behind an upset Tatara, a speechless Mikoto, and an annoyed Kusanagi.

_"Go after her you dumb fool," Kusanagi glared at his eighteen-year-old red-headed companion, "For the amount of time that I've known you, she's all you talk and think about. Go apologize to her and after you're done that, bring her back so I can formally meet her."_

Mikoto had done just that, only after a few days of muttering to himself when he would toss and turn in his bed. He'd given himself a migraine within hours of her running out of the bar that lasted for days, and only after he'd approached the front door to her mother's house did his pain begin to melt away. Kaori had brushed off his apology and ignored him for a few days, but eventually came around and forgave him. Mikoto had not been one to make promises he knew he couldn't keep, telling her that he wouldn't betray her trust again but not guaranteeing that he wouldn't push her away again.

_"Mikoto," Kaori looked up at him, momentarily pausing to admire the way the wind played with his short, fiery locks, "You need to tell me if you want to be alone instead of just running me away like that again," She reached up and cupped his face, "Promise me that, and I'll forgive you this one time."_

_His amber orbs stared down into her own even when he reached up to place his hands above her own, "The best I can do is tell you that I'll try," He answered honestly, "Can you live with that?"_

_"I suppose I have no choice if I want to keep you close to me," Her eyes closed as she leaned in and pressed her forehead against his collar bone, "You really are your own anomaly, aren't you?"_

_"That I am," His lips pulled into the smallest of smiles, "But then I guess that's what drew you in."_

The second and final time Mikoto had pushed her away, was when the two were in their twenties and had been together for quite a few years. Kaori had moved into the living quarters of HOMRA's bar with Mikoto not long after their first year together. It was a time when the Red King had truly become himself, drawing in random strangers from the streets who wished to join his clan. Originally, Mikoto didn't like the idea that his red prowess drew in what seemed like every "Tom, Dick and Harry", but once he'd finally allowed Tatara to become his vassal the words spoken to him to remind him of the real use of post had subdued his anger. However, it was because of a particular incident that set him off, making his decision to part ways with her much easier at the time.

_"He seems as though he's really on edge," Kaori watched as Mikoto walked up the stairs, leaving her alone with Kusanagi and Tatara, "Is being a King really that big of a burden?"_

_"Seems so," Kusanagi sighed, "I don't think Mikoto was fully aware of what becoming a King meant, although with that fire inside of him I don't think he had much of a choice."_

_Kaori nodded slowly with a frown, "I should go talk to him, but when he gets like this he won't even listen to me."_

_"I'm sure he will," Tatara gave her hand a squeeze, "He loves you and respects you, so if anyone can talk him down it's you."_

_"Or you," Kaori shot him a small smile before getting up and walked to the stairs, "Wish me luck."_

_Kusanagi and Tatara both gave her reassuring smiles before she turned and headed up the stairs to their room. When she got there, the door was cracked and inside felt like a furnace. Slipping through the door, she closed it behind her and slowly made her way to Mikoto._

_He sat there in his seat with his head down and eyes closed, not even looking up to acknowledge her entrance, "Mikoto?" His hand twitched slightly against his knee signaling that he was now paying attention, "What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing that concerns you," Mikoto finally looked up at her, "To be honest, I don't even know why you're still here."_

_Kaori felt her heart stop for a split second at the harshness of his tone, "What do you mean?"_

_"You don't belong in this environment," She watched as he stood up and stepped back as he towered over her, "I'm a King now, and that means my clan will have to kill. Do you understand that fully, Kaori? You'll always be in danger, and I won't always be there to protect you."_

_She frowned up at him, "I understand that. If I didn't, I wouldn't have stayed with you when you took your place as Red King."_

_"You don't get it, do you?" Mikoto ran a hand through his red locks and inhaled deeply, "We can't be together anymore. I can't let you get hurt in the crossfire. I love you enough to let you go before anything bad happens, and trust me it will."_

_Kaori shook her head, "That's not a good enough reason, Mikoto," His eyes narrowed down at her, "When that power chose you and you became a King, you knew the consequences. When I met you, you looked at me and asked me if I was ready to stay with you through this entire thing and I said_ yes _. When the others became a part of your clan and you began HOMRA with Kusanagi, I supported every decision you made. Do you still doubt all of the love and feeling I have towards you and your clan?"_

_"And I'm grateful for all of that," He cut her off, "But now that we're growing and the Blue's are starting to sniff around, it will get dangerous if they decide to put their noses in my business."_

_He brushed her off as he walked by when she began to retort, leaving her words_ _to die in her throat as he opened the door and looked back at her._

_"You still have a room in your mother's house," Mikoto motioned with a nudge of his head towards the door, "Go back home and stay there."_

_Kaori felt the blood drain from her face and the tears well up in her eyes, "You can't be serious..."_

_"I am," Mikoto couldn't look at her, "I've tried politely reasoning with you but you won't take no for answer. Get out."_

It had broken Kaori's heart that day Mikoto made that bold, harsh move with her to ensure her safety. Not only had it shattered what he tried so hard to develop, but it had destroyed what little chance of redemption he may have had in the future once he decided to pass the throne to someone else. That day, he watched the only woman he'd ever truly loved walk out of his life.

It had been the single most difficult thing Mikoto had ever had to do.

. . . 

During the three months Mikoto had forced Kaori out of his life, the boys considered it to be the most unbearable moments in the clan. He was testy, usually didn't speak unless provoked and slept almost the entire day away unless Tatara or Anna woke him up. Not even Tatara could grab his attention at times, and that was when Kusanagi realized their Kind was heading in a very serious, dark direction. 

_"He's depressed," Tatara sighed and leaned back against the sofa with his hands behind his head, "He hasn't come out of his room for two days other than to eat."_

_Kusanagi nodded, "He's getting worse each day," Setting down the glass he'd been cleaning, he walked around the bar and stood at the bottom of the stairs like he did each time he'd look up almost as if he expected Mikoto to be walking down them, "I think we should go and get Kaori. Anna found her, so it would just be the trouble of convincing her to come with us that we'd need to figure out."_

_"You think that would help?" Bando looked over to the bartender and frowned, "She's the reason he's like this so why go and get her just to make things worse?"_

_Kusanagi looked over at Bando, "You've obviously never been in love, have you?"_

\- x -

_After two hours of scolding from Kusanagi and Tatara, Mikoto found himself standing in front of a rundown building that looked as if it could be blown away with one powerful gust of wind. The bartender had also done some digging and found Kaori had left her mother's house to go find her own spot after getting a part-time job at a small restaurant. He later revealed that he'd been visiting her at her work on certain days of the week, much to the King's dismay._

_Mikoto sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, mentally debating whether or not to turn around and walk away now before he made another decision he would regret. Despite what his mind had decided, his feet pushed forward and soon he found himself in the main lobby looking at the mailboxes with names above them. When he found_ Watari, Kaori _above room thirty-four, he made his way to the stairs and began his climb. It felt as though time was slowing down with each step he took, and after an eternity passed by he was in front of a dingy wooden door with his fist raised to knock on the door._

_"What in hell are you doing?" Mikoto asked himself in a low tone, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply before slowly releasing his breath._

_Mikoto stood there in silence as the time passed by when finally, he gave two sharp knocks on the door before pocketing his hands in his dark jeans. He could hear rustling from the inside of the apartment and the sound of footsteps approaching, followed by a click of the lock and a squeaky twist of the doorknob._

_When the door finally opened, he hadn't been expecting her to look up at him with a shocked expression instead of angered, "Kaori..." It was if someone had slugged him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him._

_She looked as though she hadn't even experienced that day all those months ago. Mikoto couldn't help but notice that her hair had gotten a little longer and that her face had cleared up after she'd continuously ranted about the minimal blemishes that adorned her skin. He could also tell that she had lost a couple of inches off her waist by the way her once tight shirt now hung off her torso comfortably, although her breasts hadn't changed from their lovely size. Mikoto also caught sight of the same pair of pajama shorts that she'd had ever since they met that hung on the lowest part of her hips and barely covered the roundness of her cheeks and exposed the expanse of her long legs._

All he could think to himself was that it had been too damn long since he'd touched her, and how his fingers began to twitch in his pockets.

_"How did you find me here?" Kaori's brows furrowed, "Not even my mother knows where I live."_

_Mikoto shifted his weight from one leg to another, "Do you mind if I come in and we talk? I'd rather not stand out here awkwardly for someone else to come out and listen."_

_She hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped aside to let him in, "Why exactly are you here?"_

_"Well first off, Kusanagi had Anna find you with her power," He looked down at Kaori as he kicked off his boots, "And secondly, I came here because I feel like it's time I owe you that apology._ "

_Kaori frowned, "You don't owe me anything, Mikoto. I get it, you didn't want me around."_

_"That's not entirely true," He sighed and reached up to rub the back of his neck, "I know it was a lousy way to keep you out of harm's way, but I did it because I couldn't see you get hurt. I don't know what I'd be capable of if something were to happen to you, or what I would do with myself if I lost you."_

_Kaori sighed and crossed her arms under her chest, "So, what is it, then?" When their eyes met, he could see every raw emotion that she was currently feeling, "Do you want me to leave your life or is this you telling me you want me to be involved again? Mikoto, I can't live off false hope any longer."_

_"Can I apologize first before we get to that part?" Mikoto exhaled deeply, "You know I'm no good at this shit."_

_Silently, she took his hand and led him to the leather sofa that still smelled as if it were brand new. Mikoto took a seat beside her and leaned his head back against the comfortable top. Kaori watched him and waited while he took his time to put his words together, eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say._

_She couldn't stop herself from feeling the yearning desire to touch him, feeling as if it had been ages since she last touched his hair or the pale skin of his cheeks. The smell of cigarette that seemed to be a permanent odor on his person washed over her with a sense of familiarity, unconsciously making her lean in towards him to take in his scent._

_"I'm sorry, Kaori," His eyes that were closed when he laid his head back were now open and looking straight at her, "I'm sorry I let you down again after I promised that I wouldn't."_

_"Mikoto..." She frowned, "If this is another one of your half-ass apologies–"_

_"It's not," He reached up and cupped her face, "I need you," She heard the first sound of desperation laced in his voice and it broke her heart to hear it coming from such a strong-willed, proud man, "Kaori, come back to me."_

_She sighed softly and leaned up against him, pressing her forehead into his shoulder and closed her eyes. They remained in silence for a few moments, allowing themselves to become accustomed to the closeness again._

_"You don't have to ask," She exhaled as she spoke, "But you know what that means, right?"_

_Mikoto shifted so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders, "I know," He turned his head so he could press his forehead against the top of her head, "I won't be able to protect you all of the time, but I can make it so you can defend yourself should you need to."_

_"By gifting me like you did Kusanagi and Tatara?" Kaori asked slowly._

_She felt him nod his head, "You already have the ability to help calm the fire inside of me, so I can't think of a better person who deserves to control their own fire but you."_

_"Wow," Kaori's lips twitched into a small smile, "I forgot that you had a way with words."_

\- x -

Deeper, and harder he went. Every forward movement sent a rush of adrenaline through his blood and a wave of pleasure that came crashing down with it. Mikoto's eyes were lidded to the point where one could barely notice his pupils had dilated due to the extreme heat and the intensity of their activity. Between his own guttural groans and his partner's own shouts and cries of pleasure, it became a song that only the two knew.

Mikoto would fill her completely, sometimes even passed the point of her brim but somehow she still begged for more. Her pleas mixed with the low moans would elicit from deep within her core sent shivers up and down his entire body. With every rock of her hips meeting his own in a pleasant clash that sent a surge of heat to his aroused member that would reward her with a delicious slam into her abyss. He felt as though this was the closest possible way to feel what heaven would be like, truly enjoying the inferno within him raging on like an untamed beast wishing for nothing but to ravage his mate.

"Mi- _Mikoto_ I'm–" Kaori gasped and arched her back, allowing him to aim precisely at the one spot that set fireworks off in her body leaving her breathless and shaking.

He could feel his own peak fast approaching, not willing to allow his body to make the choice for him to finish now. Mikoto willed his desire to obey what he told it to and continued his work, hips thrusting forward and lips locking on Koari's collar bone. His teeth would brush against her sensitive flesh and nip, each time leaving little red marks that would eventually turn into bruises. He could feel her nails digging into his shoulders when she hit her peak once again and he would smirk, knowing that he could make her body thrum with delight more than once during each dance.

"Damn," He managed to breath out between deep groans, "You're so damn beautiful..."

There she was, back arched and head lolled back with her eyes half closed and mouth partially gaped open. The sweat that was beaded on her skin rolled down the valley of her breasts so tantalizingly slow it caused Mikoto's eyes to follow it, and soon he lowered down and let his tongue jut out to run agonizingly slow back up between her fleshy mounds.

Her voice came out as a gasp at the feeling on his tongue on her flesh like lava, "I-I..."

His lips pulled into a smirk as he made his way up to her collar bone, soon leaving love bites and kisses along the path as he worked his way to her lips. Kaori reached up and laced her fingers through his hair to lock him in place, greatly enjoying the depth and passion being delivered to their kiss.

It took one more powerful thrust forward for the King to see white, groaning into her mouth as he shook with pleasure. He became hypersensitive, feeling every inch of her body writhing underneath him with the feel of liquid fire rushing through her entire being. Their lips parted long enough for him to whisper her name in sweet, sweet delight before his body collapsed against hers. She pulled him back for one more passionate kiss and slowly released him, watching him as he rolled off to the side with his hand over his eyes.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Kaori smiled, rolling onto her side so she could wrap her arm around his chest, "I think that was the best, yet."

She felt his chest move with the deep chuckle that reverberated through his body, "You say that every time," He lifted his hand from his face and reached over to brush her damp strands from her forehead, "It's hard to believe it's been eight years now."

"Yeah," She smiled up at him, "Do you remember what you said to me a while back, about this night?"

Mikoto looked at her, "This night?" He thought for a moment and sure enough, tonight, the night he finally defeated his strain-induced amnesia, was their eight-year anniversary, "Well damn, talk about ironic."

Kaori pulled herself away from him so he could roll over and lean over the side of the bed to grab his leather jacket, pulling it up to rifle through one of the inner breast pockets. Kaori's eyes wandered to where his hands were, noticing a small black, square box in his hand.

"I was wondering why I was carrying this while my memories were fucked," Mikoto tossed his jacket back down to the floor and offered said box to her, "I said I would propose, didn't I?"

"..." Kaori shook her head with a wide grin spreading on her face, "Not even somewhat romantic, are you?"

She heard him grunt but accepted the small box, either way, holding it in both hands, "I thought of you immediately when I saw it," He watched her fingers grip the cover gently before she plucked it off, "It also reminds me of that passion and fire in your eyes whenever you're truly happy."

Inside the plain black box, was the most simple yet stunning bright red gemstone on a simple gold band, "Mikoto..." She looked up at him, "This is..."

"Too much?" He chuckled and ruffled his hair, "I remember you telling me if I were to ever propose that you would kick me in the nuts if I brought you something over the top, so I figured I was safe with this one."

Kaori blushed at the memory but shook it off, " _What I was going to say_ ," He looked at her and couldn't help but mirror her smile, "It's absolutely perfect," She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before holding the box out to him, "Do I have to put it on myself?"

She gave him a wink as he shook his head, taking the box from her while plucking the ring from its spot between the cushions, "Wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to let you put it on yourself, now would it?" He took her left hand in his and slowly slipped the band around her ring finger before lifting her knuckles up to his lips and pressed a long, chaste kiss to her skin.

"Such a charmer you are," Kaori giggled and sighed softly, "So does this mean I have to be married in a bar, or are you going to have Tatara pull a miracle out of his ass?"

"Hmm," Mikoto's lips pulled into a sly grin, "That depends," She gave him a questioning look, "Will you wear something red and lacy for me under your wedding dress?"

Kaori rolled her eyes before smirking, "Will you burn whatever lacy pieces of lingerie I may wear off my body?"

"Probably," He stated honestly, "I can't be responsible for my actions if I see you in a lacy thong again."

Kaori stared at him before grinning, "Well, at least you're honest."

"Would you rather I lie and suddenly put your garments up in flames as I did to the ones you wore when I got here?" The teasing tone in his voice made her giggle and shake her head, "I didn't think so."

"You're an animal," She sighed softly, brushing her fingers against his jawline.

Mikoto smiled into the touch, "If I'm such an animal, what would that make you?"

"Oh," She smirked, "Just another animal tamer like Tatara, only I get better benefits when I tame the lion."

Mikoto smirked and moved forward to lean on his arms, "Hmm, I like the sound of that," He quickly surged forward and knocked her over onto her back, his lips pressed against hers and the heat in the room returning to that agonizing desire that would keep them both going all night.

"Ready to really become the Red Queen?" Mikoto pressed his forehead to her own and felt her nod, "Good because rumor has it that the sex gets better once you and I are bonded as one."

"Is that all you think about?" Kaori grinned teasingly up at him.

Mikoto smirked down at her, "What can I say? I'm a man in love, and I happen to have a crazy high libido when it comes to you. Especially when I haven’t been able to touch you for over a week thanks to that damn strain.”

Kaori rolled her eyes and prepared to tease him some more, but was quickly silenced with a passionate kiss that further ignited the heat between them once more. 


	17. CH XVII - Adolf K. Weissman / Yashiro Isana (I) - The Gold "King"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had fun writing this one and creating Shiro's partner, Blake. I originally intended to make her a mirror of Shiro's personality, but I like the spice I added to her last minute that kind of sets her apart from the other female OC's in my opinion. :)
> 
>  
> 
> **Also, bigggg warning that there may be spoilers in this if none of you have watched season two of K: Return of Kings or know what's going on in the manga, so PLEASE go check that out before reading unless you don't mind these kinds of things!**

"Where are we going today, Shiro?" Neko asked with excitement while Shiro, Kuroh and herself made their way deeper into town, "Are we going to get some super spicy rice crackers?!"

Shiro chuckled and smiled, "Sure, we can stop and get you some if you'd like."

"Yay!" Neko grinned happily and began jumping up and down, "We're going to be getting spicy rice crackers~!"

Kuroh watched her and sighed, "You act like an undisciplined child, you know that?"

Neko made a hissing noise at the taller male and glared while Shiro chuckled with a silly smile on his face.

The trio made their way to the shop where Neko picked out several snacks (all varied in that spiciness that she loves so much) before heading towards Scepter 4. After finally recovering his memories, Shiro and Munakata had had a good discussion about where their boundaries were to be set for territory. Having chosen to keep himself on the ground instead of the sky, Shiro promised to remain in the middle of the Red Clan's cut off and the Blue Clan's, acting as a bridge between the two to avoid any unnecessary scuffles that may ensue.

"Ah, Adolf K. Weissman," Reisi stood up from his desk and welcomed the Silver King into his office with a smile, "Please, join me for a cup of tea."

Shiro gave him an uneasy smile and ruffled his hair, "Just Shiro will do, and actually, I have to cut today short. I kind of have an important matter to take care of."

"I see," Reisi regarded him with a curious eye but didn't prod, "Then we'll make this quick. I have carefully mapped out where all three clan territories will begin and end," He held out a folded piece of paper to Shiro, which he took gently from the Blue King's hand, "I must thank you for your cooperation in this matter, Shiro. With things going the way they are now, the Red Clan has become more docile and hasn't intercepted my men like they normally would."

"Oh, I don't really think I'm to thank for that," Shiro chuckled, "But if you insist, then I guess there's nothing I can say to change your mind."

Reisi smiled and nodded, "You're correct."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Shiro and his two companions made their way out of the Scepter 4 building and headed towards the other end of town. It was towards a private part of the cut off when Shiro turned to his two clansmen and offered a smile.

"This is where I ask if you two would wait for me," Shiro placed his hand on Neko's head when she began to complain, "I promise I won't be very long."

She looked up at him with a huge frown but slowly nodded, "Okay..."

"Will you be alright on your own?" Kuroh asked, his voice laced with concern.

Shiro nodded and gave him a smile, "Of course."

\- x -

Shiro made his way up the long pathway leading to an orientally styled home, much like the one his greatest friend Daikaku Kokujoji himself lived in on top of Mihashira Tower. Walking up the steps, he lifted his hand to ring the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer.

He smiled when the front door slid open, a young girl he assumed was in her twenties faced him with a curious expression, "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Hi there," Shiro smiled gently, "My name is Adolf K. Weissman. I was a close friend to your uncle, Kokujoji."

Her dark gold eyes went wide, "Weissman? Hmm..." She thought for a moment before smiling, "Oh, so you're the one he spoke of so fondly," She stepped aside and ushered him forward, "Please, come in."

Shiro quickly walked in and discarded his shoes, slipping on the dark-colored slippers that had been placed on the floor beside several other pairs. She motioned for him to follow her into the bowels of the home, and soon he found himself in a rather large living room area that immediately radiated a relaxing atmosphere.

"Please have a seat," She smiled at him and took her spot on the opposite side of the small table from him, "I assume he told you my address and who I was?"

Shiro took his seat and shook his head, "You could say that. He told me that if he were to fall critically ill, that I was to come to find you and offer my assistance to you," She gave him a questioning look, "Not as a guardian per se, but as a King should you feel like joining my clan."

"So it's true," She sat back against her legs and sighed, "He's growing weaker, isn't he?"

Shiro nodded, "He's currently being moved to my airship where he will live out his final days in peace, although with his condition I don't give him much longer, unfortunately," There was a brief pause as she looked at him with glassy eyes, "I can take you to see him, if you'd like?"

He watched as she shook her head slowly, "Uncle Joji wouldn't want me to see him like that," She heaved an unsteady breath before releasing it slowly, "He told me that when the time came, he wanted me to remember him as a strong lieutenant that once survived the war and befriended the Silver King."

 _Joji, huh?_ Shiro smiled fondly at her, "That sounds like him, alright."

"So," He looked into her gold eyes and tilted his head, "What did he tell you about me?"

The girl shifted and twiddled her fingers slightly, "Well, he told me you were carefree and made decisions recklessly. He also said you always had a goofy smile on your face and that nothing really ever bothered you," His expression made her falter and giggle to herself, "Was he right?"

With a shake of his head and nervous chuckle, Shiro rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I guess he was."

"My name is Blake, by the way, Blake Tadashi," She extended her hand across the small table to him, "My mother was fond of English names so she picked one that suited me best."

Shiro grinned and took her hand, "Instead of Adolf, please call me Shiro," Her brow rose so he elaborated, "During a battle with the Colorless King who reigns seventh in the row, he took over my body and left me the one you see now. When I woke up after the transfer, a fellow classmate of this boy's body called me Yashiro Isana, so now I just ask everybody to call me Shiro."

Blake nodded and smiled, "Alright," She slowly stood up from her spot and motioned for him to follow, "Now that I think about it, my uncle left something here for you."

"Oh?" Shiro stood up and followed her closely, "What might that be?"

She glanced back at him before leading him into an office-looking room, "His own personal records and research papers," She walked towards a cabinet and pulled a drawer out, "Once the war ended and you had taken to the skies, he'd done his own digging into the slate. Eventually, he'd become the Gold King but during that time, he'd documented everything."

"That doesn't surprise me," Shiro breathed out, "He was pretty shocked with what my research team had originally discovered when we conducted our experiments with the slate, but after the war and the death of my sister he must have decided to continue where I'd left off."

"Seems like it," Blake said, rifling through the drawer until she found what she was looking for. Pulling out a thick folder, she closed the drawer and turned to face Shiro, "About what he'd said to you in regards to me, if you really want me to join your clan I will, although I don't know what use I'll be to you."

Shiro took the folder that was handed to him and offered her a smile, "Don't say things like that, Blake," She looked up at him and frowned slightly, "Everyone has a purpose in life, whether you discover it now or later on. You're just a late bloomer, that's all."

Blake felt her cheeks warm slightly at his comment and nodded, "Thanks," She shifted awkwardly and rubbed her arm gently, "So..."

"You know you resemble him quite a bit," Shiro said with a warm, friendly tone, "You have his eyes mostly, but that willingness to be a part of something... He passed that on to you through his family."

Smiling softly, Blake bit her bottom lip and nodded, "Thank you, Shiro... It means a lot to me that he's had a friend like you," She crossed the room and bowed to him, "I can't express my gratitude for you giving him a comfortable place to remain his final days."

"I owe him a great deal, so it's the least I can do," He smiled down at her and reached out to place his hand on the top of her head affectionately, "He was my closest friend, after all," Blake looked up at him and blushed lightly as she nodded, "Now then! What would you like to do?"

She took a minute to think over her options and gave a shrug of her shoulder, "To be honest, now that my parents are gone and uncle Joji is bed-ridden, I suppose I could join your clan and be of some use."

Shiro paused for a moment, bringing his hand up and curling his fingers around his chin. Blake watched him as he stood there deep in thought for a moment before bursting out into a bright smile.

"You could always become the next Gold King?"

Blake stared at him as if he'd grown a second _and_ third head, "Huh...? No! I couldn't!"

"Why not?" He smiled, "I could help guide you along the way, and from what the Usagi tell me you've already been trained in their fighting style so who better to take the throne?" He reached out once again and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "I have faith in you, and I'm sure he does as well."

Her golden eyes traveled down to the floor and she stood there quietly for some time. Shiro waited patiently while he watched the expressions change on her face while she muddled over her options. A lot had been brought to the table and so soon at that. He felt a little bit of shame for bombarding her with the recent news about the lieutenant, but he kept telling himself that it had to be done.

"His job was to protect the slates, correct?" Blake looked up at him, "And oversee Japan's entire political and economic aspects?"

Shiro nodded, "I know it's a huge responsibility, but I have no doubt in my mind that you can handle it. You seem to be very much like the young lieutenant that I remember so well."

Blake sighed deeply and crossed her arms, "I suppose I'm overruled, then."

"So you'll do it?" He smiled, "If the slate chooses you and you accept the power of the Gold King, then we'll begin your coaching. Although, I don't see how it would reject you. At the very least, it can't hurt to try."

Blake looked up at the Silver King and locked eyes with him, noticing the pure confidence in his uniquely colored orbs. She couldn't help but smile and felt a wave of relief wash over her at his overwhelming faith in her. Bringing her hand up to her neck, her fingers wrapped around a small pendant that her uncle Kokujoji had given her for her most recent birthday.

"I'll do it," She smiled, "Even if I don't become the Gold King, I'll oversee what my uncle began and maintain his order in keeping Japan a powerful, prosperous country."

Shiro nodded, "Excellent! Well then," He turned and motioned for her to follow, "Let's get started then, shall we?"

\- x -

After seeing Kuroh and a reluctant Neko back to the high school, Shiro escorted Blake to Mihashira Tower, where Kokujoji's clan held and protected the slates. The two entered the building and were brought to the main room by the Usagi, who was more than pleased to see Blake with the Silver King upon entry. They informed her that should she become the next Gold King, that they would inform every political party of her ascending the throne and then schedule meetings for her to introduce herself to those who needed to see her face.

"Don't worry," Shiro chuckled at the incredulous look on her face after having the Usagi ram all of what comes with the title into her head, "It's not as difficult as it seems. Mostly it's going to be a busy first few weeks to get you accustomed to being the new overseer of Japan's entire political and economic well-being, but also you will help me to maintain the balance between the remaining Kings."

Blake's eyes went wide, "You never told me that earlier! I can't fight another King!"

"No, no," He grinned, "Not fight, but... Keep the peace, especially between the Red Clan and Blue Clan."

He watched her nod slowly and couldn't help but chuckle softly. He knew how intimidating all of this must be for her, but he had faith in his closest friend and the choices he'd made.

"Your Highness," One of the Usagi stopped the two and knelt down in front of Shiro with his head bowed down, "We've just received word that our Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji has passed away."

Shiro nodded with a small smile, "Thank you for that," He looked at Blake and took her hand gently giving it a squeeze, "It seems it's time to go introduce yourself to the slate."

Blake felt somewhat upset that she would not be allowed a moment to grieve but once she thought about it, she was happy that Shiro was here to assist her and be a distraction. She couldn't help but feel warm in his presence and enjoyed the accepting waves radiating from his body.

When the two entered the room where the slate was laid to rest, Shiro walked her to the center of the room with her hand still in his.

Blake took a deep breath before looking to Shiro, "Do I just walk to the slate?"

"Yeah, that's about it," He smiled, "It's a little hard to explain without going through process, but you have to literally feel the slate's energy with your own personal aura. If you're the right candidate, you'll feel an upsurge of energy. If you accept the Gold essence and it accepts you, then you will become the second Gold King."

Blake murmured something about perhaps being titled a Queen instead, but Shiro's goofy grin and a chuckle made her cheeks flare and her head to shake. Taking a deep breath, she gently pulled her hand from the immortal King's and slowly made her way to the middle of the slate. When she closed her eyes to concentrate, she immediately noticed a change in the surrounding and felt as though a thick current was beginning to envelop her. It wasn't invasive by any means. Instead, it felt almost familiar.  _Warm_ , even.

 _You've grown so much..._ A familiar voice echoed from the back of Blake's mind. _And now you're ready to take your place as the new Gold King. I couldn't ask for a better candidate._

Blake felt the tears pool in her eyes and smiled softly, bringing her arms up to hug herself so she could cradle this last moment with the ghost of her uncle standing so near to her. She closed her eyes and envisioned him standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders, as he used to when she was upset or needed comfort and would tell her everything was going to be okay.

 _I know things will be difficult at first, but you have a very reliable ally on your side who will coach you until you no longer need his aid,_ The soft, younger version of her uncles voice echoed through her mind, _I can't wait to tell your mother and father about how much you've grown. I'm so proud of you, Blake._

"Thank you, uncle Joji," Blake whispered, a soft smile still on her face as she felt his familiar aura encase her as if he himself was giving her a warm hug, "I promise I won't let any of you down."

With the last word off her lips, Shiro watched as the slate began to glow and Blake's body was surrounded by a whirlpool of golden light. She stood there in the middle of it with a smile on her lips and had her arms wrapped around herself as if she was receiving a warm and inviting hug as the energy bombarded her body. The Usagi, who had been watching the entire event, waited with bated breath while the energy continued to circle and absorb into her being until the very last flicker was gone.

Opening her eyes, she turned looked up at the ceiling but her golden orbs could see past that and up to the sky where a magnificent, glowing golden sword now loomed above where she stood. She bid her uncle farewell with the gentle tug of her heart and with the tears that slid down her cheeks before turning to look at Shiro.

"Congratulations," Shiro approached her with a calm smile, "You'll be a fine Gold King, Blake."

She reached up and cupped his cheek gently, "I felt him, Shiro..." The golden glow still radiated from her body and gave her an almost ethereal radiance, "He came to me before I was gifted his power."

"He must have been proud of you," Shiro smiled down at her.

"He was," Her tears pooled at the rims of her eyes once again and Shiro reached out to brush them away, "He's really gone..."

With a quick, soft tug of her arm, Shiro pulled Blake into a tender embrace. He held her against him while she cried out her soul onto his shoulder, rubbing circles onto her back while he hummed a tune softly in her ear. Hearing the own hymn coming from his lips brought a wave of nostalgia along with it, having been a lullaby that his very own sister would sing to him on nights his younger self could not sleep.

The leader of the Usagi approached slowly and bowed his head in respect, "Perhaps we will give her some time before we begin preparing her for her role as the Gold King?"

"That would be best," Shiro looked at him, "I will oversee all oppositions and duties until she has recovered from her loss and is both mentally and physically prepared for her role," The Usagi nodded and Shiro grinned, "I would feel bad throwing her into the lion's den since it was I who brought her here."

"Understood, your Highness," He bowed and soon Shiro and Blake were alone in the room.

"Feel better?" He looked down at her and watched as she pulled away, his hands moving up to rub her upper arms soothingly, "Take all of the time you need."

Blake smiled small and nodded, "Thank you, Shiro. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome," Shiro smiled and gently brushed her cheek with his hand, "Now, let's get you cleaned up. You'll be joining me and my two companions for dinner tonight, and it would be an awful shame is Neko and Kuroh saw you with those puffy eyes and stained cheeks."

Blake giggled softly and nodded, bringing her hand up to rub her eyes, "I guess you're right."

Shiro took her hand in his own and lead her out of the room and to one of the many bathrooms in the tall building, preparing a cold cloth to wipe her face down while she sat on a small stool and watched him.

"Shiro," He looked at her, "Will you have whoever is flying your airship take my uncle to the place you both first met?"

He nodded and smiled, "Of course."

With a quick brush of the wet cloth to her face and just a few moments of happy chatter, the two bid their goodbyes to the Usagi and made arrangements for them to begin work tomorrow with the Silver King. In the meantime, he took the new Gold King and brought her to meet his two clansmen so they could all go out to enjoy a meal in memory of Daikaku Kokujoji.


	18. CH XVIII - Himori Akiyama - Getting to Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all and welcome a returning original character from the one shot with Scepter 4's very own newly recruited lieutenant, Hana Totchikawa! If you're reading this now and wondering who she is, please refer to chapter seven! :)

Akiyama sat across from the newest recruit of the Blue Clan and shifted awkwardly in his seat. It had been all of the boys as well as Awashima's idea to put the two together and send them out on a blind date. The two in question could understand all of the boys (Fushimi excluded), but to have Seri Awashima also enter their scheme was beyond comprehension. 

"So..." Akiyama looked at her, "What brought you to Scepter 4, Hana?"

She shrugged her shoulder slightly and sat back in her seat, "It was my mother's idea shortly after our house had been raided by two strains," She looked at him, "And you? Surely you had just reason for joining a clan instead of a regular police force?"

"Similar to you, actually," Akiyama crossed his arms over his chest and sat back against the hard wood of his seat to try and get into a more comfortable position, "I watched the previous Blue King handle a whole group of strains and thought that if I could contribute to protecting citizens against the supernatural, that it would be more meaningful rather than chasing purse thieves and bank robbers."

Hana nodded, "Fair enough."

"Are you and lieutenant Awashima getting along?" Akiyama asked, not knowing what else to bring up other than work-related topics.

Hana caught onto this and offered him a small smile, "We're getting to know each other quite well, actually," Her head tilted to the side and suddenly Akiyama saw a normal woman, not a sharp, cold commanding officer of the special unit alongside Fushimi, "You know we can breach the line between work and personal, right?"

"Oh, my apologies," Akiyama's cheeks slightly reddened, "I wasn't aware that you were so..."

"Friendly?" Hana laughed to herself before propping an elbow onto the table so she could cradle her chin in her hand, "Yes, I get that a lot."

The ebony haired man chuckled and followed her example and brought both of his folded arms to rest on the edge of the table, "Well then, that makes it easier for us to sit through this," He chuckled and smiled, "Whereabouts are you from?"

"Outside the Kanto region of Japan, but I moved to Shizume City shortly after the raid on my parents' house," Hana answered, "They were supportive of my desire to join Scepter 4 and paid for my train ticket to come here, although I do wish they'd of moved here with me."

Akiyama nodded, "My parents aren't here in Shizume City either, so I understand the loneliness of not having your family close but I suppose the boys of the special unit compensate to some extent."

"Aside from Fushimi?" Hana grinned.

He grinned back, "Yes, aside from Fushimi. Although, lately he has had some humane moments."

"What were you doing before Scepter 4?" Hana looked at the waitress that arrived with their drinks and thanked her before looking at him again, "You and I are both twenty-four, so were you in school at the time?"

Akiyama took a sip of his drink before shaking his head, "I was helping my family with their small business before I decided to pursue something different here in the bigger city."

"They must have been glad to have a son that was willing to stay behind and help them," Hana offered, "Not many sons would do that, being it more of a thing a daughter would do."

The male shrugged and smiled, "I'd do anything for my parents, just like most single children I know would."

"You're an only child?" Hana blinked when he nodded, "I see. So am I."

Akiyama chuckled, "Seems we have quite a lot in common."

"So it would seem," She smiled, "What about hobbies?"

Akiyama thought for a moment as he played with the straw in his glass, "Hmm, that's a tough one actually. I don't think I ever really enjoyed anything, to be honest. I've only ever had two relationships in my entire life and both were plain and simple like me, so aside from working with my family in the shop I never really did anything."

"You did better than I have," Hana sipped at her drink, "I've never been in a relationship before. I've always had my nose stuck in books or studying and practicing martial arts with my father."

"Ah," Akiyama grinned, "Makes sense now why you have such excellent reflexes."

Hana's cheeks tinted a light pink, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as one," Akiyama added with a smile.

The two eventually wafted through topics such as likes, dislikes, personal interests and activities outside of work. Aside from what the men at Scepter 4 had told Akiyama, he discovered for himself that Hana was truly a wonderful person with a lot of heart. They shared many similar interests and their personalities allowed them to feel comfortable with one another because they were equal.

"Speaking of Scepter 4," Hana finished her drink and looked at Akiyama, "What do you think of our captain?"

Akiyama shrugged, "He's as good as any, I suppose. Although, when he tries to join in with plans that my fellow comrades thought up, it gets awkward because no matter what we do, he always finds a way to make us all feel like we're still working."

"That sounds a lot like him," Hana giggled, "He does seem very dedicated to his work, after all."

Akiyama nodded, "Awashima has joined us on group outings as well, so perhaps next time you would like to join too?"

"Of course!" Hana smiled, "I would love to."

Deciding to change their scenery, Akiyama suggested they go for a walk around the park, much to Haha's pleasure. The two made their way through the main pathways around the central park and soon took a leisurely pace through the hidden trails. Along the way, they passed several other couples and found themselves feeling slightly awkward by the glances they were getting from just walking beside one another instead of holding hands or even touching in some form.

"Well," Hana sighed, "This is sufficiently awkward," She looked up at Akiyama, "Hasn't anyone seen a male and female walking beside each other as friends before?"

Akiyama shrugged, "Ignore them," He smiled down at her, "If you're tired of the staring, I could be the gentleman and offer my arm to you?"

Hana's cheeks flamed, "Himori..."

"Strictly to avoid the looks," He added quickly.

Shooting him an analytical eye, she quickly sized up his intentions and noticed that he seemed genuine. With a soft sigh, she nodded and hooked her arm around his own once offered to her. Not that she would admit, but she had a rather pleasant feeling spread through her once the two were walking in tandem with each other arm-in-arm.

"Since we've passed the comfort zone of touch, want to tell me what you like in a woman?" Hana looked up at him playfully, "Seeing as how we're quite intimate right now."

Akiyama couldn't fight the grin off his face at her words, "If you'd like," He chuckled and looked ahead of them, "Well, I like a sharp, strong, independent woman with a soft side. What about you? What piques your interest in a man?"

"I see," Hana nodded, "Hmm, I guess I like a normal kind of guy who isn't out to impress anyone with a decent personality. I like people who prefer to be themselves rather than an egotistical show-off."

Akiyama blinked, "So in other words, you're not that picky."

"You could say that, or add it to the fact I've never dated anyone before," She looked up at him, "Hard to know what you want when you've got nothing to compare to."

He nodded, "That's true," He took a moment to contemplate something before looking around, his tone of voice turning to that of innocence, "Well... I could take you out on a date if you'd like?"

"You mean, be my first boyfriend experience?" Her eyes narrowed and her lips tugged into a sly grin, "Himori, I didn't think you'd be the type to be so forward."

He shrugged and stopped walking so he could turn to look at her, "It makes it easier since we have so much in common."

Hana looked up at him and nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"Eh?!" Akiyama blinked several times, "So... You're saying yes? Just like that...?"

"Yeah, why not?" She blinked as well, "Is there a problem?"

Akiyama deadpanned, "Well, I imagined this going a little differently while we were walking... But I guess this will do."

She reached up and ruffled his ebony locks, "You worry too much, Himori."

"I suppose I do sometimes," He chuckled, "Should we keep this quiet for a while to avoid excessive teasing?"

Hana nodded, "Probably the better thing to do, but they'll figure it out eventually."

"That's true," Akiyama agreed, "Oh well, let's see how long it takes for them to figure it out."

With a wink, he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

"When we get back, I have to revert back to my cold-hearted self, you know that, right?" Haha smiled and looked up at him.

He nodded, "And I'll go back to my grumpy self that puts up with Andy's antics and Fushimi's mood swings."

"Mm," Hana agreed.

"But before that," Her brow quirked at Akiyama, "I want to enjoy this moment a little longer."


	19. CH XIX - Andy Domyouji - April Fools in June

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was a request in the series and I didn't really enjoy the way this turned out, but the requestee did so that's why I kept it in the original series. Now, I've done a little bit of tweaking, but not much as I know she will read this updated version and would want it to continue flowing the same as when I'd written it in 2016. Enjoy. :)

Hidaka and Gotou rushed to Benzai and Akiyama's dorm room as they began banging on the door loudly early in the AM with excited grins on their faces. It took only a minute before Benzai opened the door with a mutter, glaring at the two while they barged in.

"Okay, so we need your help!" Hidaka shut the door for Benzai and face him, "We're planning on playing a prank on Andy, but we need everyone's help."

"Why would you play a prank on Andy?" Akiyama's brow rose as he turned to face the intruders, "I mean, I agree with your choice to prank him but, why?"

Gotou smirked, "Simple," He held out a picture with a pretty young girl and Andy together, "We found this sticking out of his trouser pocket two days ago when we were bathing, and after some begging on our hands and knees to Fushimi, he easily figured out her name and we contacted her!"

Akiyama and Benzai stared, "You had Fushimi find Andy's girlfriends and track her down so she could help you all prank him?"

"Yep!" Hidaka smirked, "And she's in on this, too! So come on! Get your asses dressed and let's get this thing started!"

\- x -

"So, I got everything you needed!" Saki exclaimed as she walked through the door to the designated meeting area that Hidaka had messaged her directions to, "Everything down to the already made pie plates, pipe cleaners, and the toilet paper."

Kamo eyed her while she dropped two bags on the rickety brown table in the middle of the room and then looked at Hidaka and Fuse, "The hell kind of prank are we playing?"

"Something he'll never see coming," Fuse chuckled and walked over to Saki, "Thanks again for helping us with this."

"No worries," She grinned brightly, "Andy and I pick on each other all the time but now that I have some help, I can up the ante and outdo him just this once!"

"So you two prank each other a lot?" Gotou asked, taking a seat on one of the folding chairs at the end of the table and watched while she dug all of the two bags contents out onto the flat surface, "He doesn't seem like that type."

Saki looked at Gotou and blinked, "Really? Well, to you guys maybe no, but with me, he always teases and tricks me. Its how we know we love each other," She winked and watched as several of the guys rolled their eyes.

"Alright, alright!" Hidaka looked around, "Let's get this started," He looked at Enomoto and Kamo, "I need you two to make sure Andy goes into room four-thirteen in the upper level of the dorms," He then turned to Akiyama, "Akiyama, you have the hardest task and that's preoccupying Fushimi while we sneak Saki into the building to help set everything up. If you run into Lieutenant Awashima or Captain Munakata, you need to stall them, too!"

Akiyama deadpanned, "Why the hell are you making _me_ do that?! Fushimi will know I'm lying!"

"He listens to you more than he does any of us, so that's why we chose you," Hidaka smirked, "Now, Benzai and Fuse will help me bring in everything but after that, you two have to make sure Andy is preoccupied until we're ready for him."

"I thought Enomoto and Kamo were in charge of Andy?" Benzai's eyebrow rose.

Hidaka looked at him, "Only after we finish setting everything up, but until then we need you two to keep him busy."

"What is Saki going to be doing?" Fuse looked at the bubbly blond haired girl before regarding Hidaka, "We never gave her a job, did we?"

Saki stood proud with her hands on her hips, "I'm going to make sure everything gets done before we get caught or run out of time!"

"So..." All eyes were on her, "You're kind of like the supervisor of this whole thing?"

"Yup!" She smirked, "Hidaka made sure that I would have a really fun part to play, so how could I say no?"

Hidaka cleared his throat and grabbed everyone's attention, "Alright, so now that everyone knows their jobs, let's get to work!"

Reluctantly, everyone agreed and soon they all made their way out and headed to where they needed to be. Hidaka, Fuse, and Benzai managed to successfully bring Saki into the dorms without much of a hitch, even miraculously maneuvering her around Fushimi's room before Akiyama could get there.

Meanwhile, Enomoto and Kamo quickly went around to see if they could find where Andy was currently located so they could send Fuse and Benzai a message.

"Okay, so how much time do you think we have?" Saki whispered while Hidaka and Benzai set down the bags in the room, "I'm sure someone will get suspicious."

"Depends on if Enomoto or Kamo can find Andy first before he finds us," Fuse answered.

\- x -

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Akiyama walked up to Fushimi, "I have some issues I'd like to discuss and I figured you were the more practical to come to."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes at Akiyama, "Why don't you go bother someone else with your trivial matters."

"It isn't work related and you know what they're like," Akiyama pressed, his inner pride shriveling up with each second that his superior was glaring at him, "I'm having... Girl issues."

Fushimi stopped in his tracks and regarded Akiyama with a quirked brow, "And you chose me to talk to?"

"You're not biased, so yes, I chose you," Akiyama admitted.

The younger of the two muttered something incoherent to himself before motioning for Akiyama to follow him.

"What is it?" Came Fushimi's cold question.

Akiyama had to think fast and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "My girlfriend," Fushimi's eyes were on him in an instant, "She... She's pregnant."

"So what's the problem?" Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "Man up and take care of your kid, problem solved."

Akiyama shook his head, "It's not that!" He watched as Fushimi inhaled sharply, his tongue clicking in annoyance, "It's... The baby, it's not mine but she wants to start a family with me."

At this point Fushimi stopped and turned to him fully, his eyes boring into Akiyama's for any signs of a ruse. The elder of the two froze and prayed to whatever God there was that his posture did not visibly stiffen under his superiors scrutinizing gaze.

"If the baby isn't yours but you're willing to take responsibility, then you're more of a man than I would be in that situation," Fushimi openly admitted.

Akiyama mentally released a heavy sigh, "I wouldn't say that, sir. It's really something I have to give a lot of thought to."

"So you're going to do it?" A slender brow rose with the inquiry.

"Most likely," Akiyama nodded, "I don't have it in me to leave my lover, least of all pregnant or any other female for that matter, carrying a child and taking care of it by themselves."

Fushimi walked up to him in two long strides and reached up to place his hand on Akiyama's shoulder, "As I said," His hand was dropped and the younger man began walking away, "You're more a man than I would be."

Akiyama turned and watched as Fushimi's form disappeared into one of their normal work areas, before finally releasing the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"One more minute and I would have been a goner," Akiyama sighed deeply, "I wonder how they're handling things?"

Little did he know, Fushimi had seen right through his little tale but didn't push him any further. However, Akiyama's actions definitely piqued Fushimi's interest.

\- x -

"Andy!" Enomoto called out to the spunky orange haired boy across the lot, "Where are you headed?"

Kamo followed quietly and watched as Andy turned to face them with his signature smile brightly etched on his face, "Nowhere in particular actually."

"Want to come train with us?" Kamo interjected before Enomoto could go along with his suggestion of bringing him to town and to an inappropriate part of town, "You've had the last two days off, so I figured you'd be needing to catch up."

Andy pouted for a moment before sighing, "Fine! I suppose you're right."

The three soon made their way to one of the training areas after changing into appropriate garb and grabbed a wooden katana to practice with.

"So," Kamo swung his weapon at an invisible enemy before looking at Andy, "When were you going to tell us that you had a girlfriend?"

Enomoto shot Kamo a warning glare but Andy's chuckling pulled his attention towards him, "I thought I mentioned it before! She and I have been together for longer than I have been a Blue Clan member!"

"What's her name?" Enomoto slowly asked, deciding instead of looking suspicious that he would join in the conversation.

"Saki," Andy smiled happily, "My family said it's like I'm dating myself because she and I are so much alike!"

 _Yeah, we gathered that..._ Enomoto thought with a bleak expression on his face but quickly brushed it off when Andy shot him a quizzical look.

"Where did you find out about Saki?" Andy asked as he shared a glance at the two.

Kamo was first to recover and spout out whatever came to mind first, "I saw that mister Fushimi was snooping around the database and when he landed on your profile, I got curious and peeked over his shoulder and noticed that your relationship profile stated that you were with someone."

"Fushimi was looking at my file?!" Andy blinked several times, "But, why!"

Kamo froze at that point but Enomoto had it covered, "He was probably bored. Besides, you know what he's like. He knows pretty well everything about us even if he doesn't participate in anything we invite him to."

That seemed to satisfy Andy enough that he nodded and didn't pursue the matter further, although the suspicious expression on his face wasn't gone from sight as of yet.

\- x -

"Alright, so we're done mostly with the easy stuff," Hidaka stood back to examine their work, "So now comes the hard part."

"Which is?" Saki looked up at him.

Hidaka smirked, "Running away from Fushimi when he figures out that we're planning to do this to Andy, you know, after he figures out Akiyama was stalling him. We all know he hates having his time wasted, so he'll probably grill us alive when he figures this all out."

"Is this Fushimi guy really that frightening?" Saki blinked.

Benzai looked at her, "He can be."

"He's special, let's just keep it simple and say it as it is," Hidaka rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled, "Anyways, we're not here to talk about Fushimi! We're just about ready so you two," He looked at Benzai and Fuse, "Head out and collect Andy."

"Right!" Fuse jumped into action right away while Benzai followed quietly behind him.

Saki looked at Hidaka and grinned, "Really think this is going to work?"

"Of course it is!" Hidaka looked at her, "Andy may be the youngest and also a master at pranking us, but _he is_ gullible."

Saki nodded and giggled, "I know! Just making sure!"

\- x -

"Wow, you two really had a lot of energy today!" Andy panted hard as he leaned against the wall to catch his breath after an intense sparring match with Kamo and then Enomoto, "If you ask me, I think you two did this on purpose just so you could gang up on me and kick my ass."

Enomoto put his wooden katana in its proper spot before looking at him, "You're just soft after two days off, that's all."

"He's right," Kamo grinned, "You didn't even give us a fight or make either one of us break a sweat."

"Yeah, yeah!" Andy huffed, "Just wait until I'm back in top form!"

"When might that be?"

All eyes looked towards the entrance to the training area where a grinning Fuse and Benzai were standing there.

Andy stood up and sighed with fake dramatics, "You guys are horrible to me, you know that?"

"We are not," Fuse chuckled, "You guys should get showered and changed. We're all off duty this evening so we're getting together so some drinks."

Andy immediately brightened up and went off to put his weapon away and head for the showers. Kamo nodded and grinned at Fuse's easy white lie and headed off in the same direction with Enomoto, signaling that they wouldn't be too long.

"There you are," Both boys looked over to see Akiyama approaching them, "How is everything going?"

"According to plan surprisingly," Benzai's brow rose, "Weren't you supposed to be keeping an eye out for the captain and Lieutenant Awashima?"

Akiyama heaved a heavy breath, "After talking to Fushimi about a pregnant girlfriend I don't even have, I found Lieutenant Awashima and the captain heading out with several other members to go investigate an issue that had to do with a rumored strain attack. I overheard that the Red Clan was involved too, so they'll be a while."

"I'm surprised they didn't call for us," Fuse frowned, "Then Hidaka would have flipped his lid."

"Wait," Fuse deadpanned, "You talked to Fushimi about having a pregnant girlfriend?"

Akiyama glared, "It was all I could think of right off the top of my head when he put me on the spot."

"Just for the fun of it, what did he have to say?" Fuse smirked.

Akiyama crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him, "He was rather blunt, as Fushimi tends to be, and told me I was more a man than he for taking on a pregnant woman who is carrying someone else's child."

Both Fuse and Benzai stared at Akiyama with blank expressions, "You couldn't think of anything else?"

"No," Akiyama snorted, "I was lucky to have made it out of that hallway alive with the way he was looking at me, so I had no choice but to use that."

"Oh, hey Akiyama!" Andy waved as the three returned, "Are you coming with us for the get-together tonight?"

Akiyama glanced at Fuse and Benzai only to receive a nod, "Of course," He looked at Andy and smiled, "I wouldn't miss it."

"Awesome," Kamo was the first to step forward, "Let's all go get some comfier clothing on and head up to the usual spot."

\- x -

Hidaka looked at his PDA when his tone went off and looked back at Gotou, "They're on their way!"

Gotou nodded and went over to him while Saki walked up behind them to close the door after they left. Quickly, she did what she needed to do in order for their prank to flow smoothly and quickly hid somewhere in the room so Andy wouldn't spot her right away.

It only took ten minutes before she could hear their voices and footsteps from outside the door, and could distinctly hear Hidaka laughing and telling Andy to head on in. Knowing he wouldn't think anything of it, Saki peeked her head over her barrier and watched patiently.

With a twist of the knob, Saki grinned and watched as Andy pulled the door open and walked right into the toilet paper and pipe cleaner rows that Hidaka and Gotou helped prepare that attached themselves to the wall. Before Andy could even blink to look down at what was caught on his knees, he heard what sounded like something letting go and looked up.

"What the–!"

_SMASH._

The seven clansmen standing behind Andy all grinned and fought to keep themselves from laughing as one massive pie dropped right on top of the unsuspecting boy. There was a pregnant pause while Andy processed what happened before turning around to look at his teammates.

"Remind me to never let you guys trick me into going through a door first ever again," Came his teasing reply.

A loud roar of laughter suddenly echoed through the hallways at the success of their prank, and when it was revealed that Saki had come to assist them Andy knew right away why Kamo had asked him if he was with someone.

"By the way," Saki grinned and kissed his cheek, "Happy birthday, love!"

Andy beamed happily, momentarily forgetting about what happened to him moments ago, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"

"Which is why I brought this!"

Another round of laughter erupted when Saki innocently smacked a regular sized pie into the face of her lover, completely throwing him off guard.

"That's payback for two weeks ago when you got whip cream all over me," Saki smiled at him as he wiped away the cream filling from his eyes, "And also for the ice cream incident that same day."

Hidaka looked at her and grinned, "You do realize how sexual that sounds, don't you?"

"Shut up!" Saki blushed and pouted.

The laughter continued well into the evening, even attracting the attention of a certain third in command.

Fushimi made his way up to the upper levels of the male dorms and eventually found himself in front of a closed door where loud chatter and the sound of bottles being tapped together could be heard. Usually, he would brush off the noise and just go back to work until the others were sound asleep in the early AM before heading to bed himself, but this got him curious.

It made things worse when the sound of an unfamiliar woman's voice came from inside.

Slowly reaching for the handle and opening the door a crack, Fushimi leaned forward to look in but immediately regretted his decision.

Inside, Akiyama and Benzai were both flushed faced and leaning against their seats with drinks in their hands. Fuse was laughing madly at Kamo, who looked as though he had too much to drink and had just face planted into his dessert. Enomoto sat beside him and shook his head with a sight while Gotou and Hidaka smirked and teased him mercilessly.

When Fushimi's eyes landed on a pie-covered Andy, he noticed a young girl sitting beside him with what looked like frosting covering the upper part of her chest, he thought enough to close the door and leave them to it.

"I'm not awake enough for this."


	20. CH XX - Reisi Munakata (II) – Mirror Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't as long as I'd hoped it would be, but it is what it is. I added a few things and took away a few things, so hopefully y'all enjoy. :)

Three weeks had passed since Eri Chiharu had been taken in by the Blue Clan, and since then she'd noticed how well she had begun to fit in. It only took three days for her to become bored enough that she started to follow Awashima around whenever the elder woman would be off doing her own thing without shadowing the Blue King, often times explaining the significance of what she was doing to the eager half strain.

A week later, it was Munakata who had brought up the idea of Eri officially becoming a Scepter 4 member but without having his aura become a part of her. Eri was thankful that Munakata had decided to hold off on having her make _that_ decision, but she knew that it wouldn't be postponed forever. It was only a matter of time before the Blue King became impatient and backed her into a corner.

Slowly but surely as the time went on, Eri found herself seeking the Blue King's attention but pushed herself away knowing it was her genetics that was causing her to be like this. She'd confided in Awashima, telling her that she was leaning more towards officially becoming a member of the Blue Clan, but would need Reisi Munakata's absolute trust in the matter to which Awashima was more than happy to assure her would happen.

It was on a rainy day entering her fourth week at Scepter 4 when Awashima had dismissed her from her light duties to join Fushimi and the special unit on an assignment that would be above Eri's head, so the younger of the two more than happily stepped out and was headed back to the dorms when a voice called out to her.

"Ah, Miss Chiharu," She quickly turned around recognizing the sound of Munakata's voice and smiled up at him, "How are you doing today?"

Eri turned to face him, "I'm good. Miss Awashima told me I was free to do as I pleased today because she had to help Fushimi's crew do some digging online for something, so I was just heading to get changed."

"May I walk with you?" He gave her a closed-eyed smile.

Having become accustomed to the pulling sensation that came with the closeness of Reisi Munakata that made her colorless aura tingle with delight, she nodded and turned around to continue walking while he took several easy strides to catch up to her.

As they walked together down the main hall, Munakata held his hands behind his back and concentrated on what was in front of them, "I take it that you are enjoying your time here?" Her eyes met his and she nodded, "Excellent to hear. Miss Awashima has grown quite fond of you, as well."

"She told you that?" Eri's cheeks flushed, "I really like her, too. She's very fun to be around and has taught me so much these past three weeks."

Munakata nodded and smiled to himself, "So then," Eri suddenly felt her stomach twist knowing exactly what his next question was going to be, "Have you given any thought to becoming a permanent member of Scepter 4?"

"You mean, become the clan's power supply?" Eri's eyes shifted onto his form, waiting to see what he would respond with. She knew her words were harsh, but she couldn't help blurting it out. Her level of trust was still iffy, and her words reflected that.

Munakata gave a deep chuckle, "Not a power supply, Eri, but the clan's support. I wish to use your abilities to help my clan from the sidelines, as to not put you in danger against the Green Clan."

"Somehow, I don't believe your words fully, but I'm assuming that you've already asked Seri to talk to me?" She asked more to herself than to him, but it was his chuckle reverberating through his chest once again that answered her question, "I figured as much."

"Is it so wrong of me to want to have you so close?"

Eri stopped walking and looked up at him, catching his deep azures with her own light blues, "I won't lose my freedom by letting your aura consume me, Munakata."

"I don't have any intentions of stripping you of your freedom," He quickly answered with a small frown, "In fact, it's quite the opposite if you are to become a member of the special unit as Miss Awashima has suggested."

Eri eyed him carefully, not caring if members of the clan passed by them in the hall or saw the two in a silent stare down. She knew Munakata was slowly creeping his way into her soul bit by bit, but she knew that in order to negotiate her terms she would have to be willing to compromise with this man. He was a tactician, after all. She knew it wouldn't be easy to bend a will as strong as Reisi Munakata's, but she could and _would_ try.

Or so she thought.

"Okay," Eri stepped back into the same leisurely pace they had before with him by her side, "Say I decide to do this whole "connection" thing and bond auras with you," She could feel his eyes on her, "Wouldn't that make me your girlfriend? I mean, you've already told me it's an extremely intimate connection, so I can't see you wanting to bond with someone like that out of the kindness of your heart."

Munakata grinned at her words but didn't vocalize his amusement, "It's true that the bond between your aura and mine would be on a deeper connection even more so than sexual intercourse," He could see from the corner of his eye that her cheeks had become red, "You've also come to a very accurate conclusion, as well. I've been meaning to court you, but you've been making it difficult for me to spend personal time with you."

Eri froze in her steps and stared up at him with her jaw slack and eyes wide, "W-What?!"

As much as she appreciated Munakata's blunt honesty, it was times like these that she wished he were more like one of the special unit members working under Fushimi. At least they would have sugar-coated their true intentions rather than figuratively slapping her in the face with it.

"Have I said something wrong?" Munakata's brow quirked as he looked down at her, "You can't expect me to believe that you were completely unaware of this, Miss Chiharu."

He was definitely right about that one, but it still blew Eri's mind that he would come so boldly forward as if she'd already given him a positive answer, "Yes, but..."

"But?" He repeated, taking a step closer to her.

Eri felt her aura thrum in excitement as his approach but willed her inner self to push it back down, "Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest if we were together? I mean, co-workers aren't supposed to date..."

"You wouldn't be dating me," Munakata reached out and felt the tips of his fingers breaching the barrier between his and her auras and felt a very tantalizing, inviting jolt shoot through his tips and up his arm, "It would be more like we were bound together as one, like something way past the physical eye."

 _Is he trying to tell me that I'd be his_ mate _? The, hell!_

Eri gulped and looked away from his intense gaze, "Munakata... I don't think I'm ready for something like that."

"Oh?" He finally gave in and grinned down at her and his eyes began to shine with amusement, "Your aura tells me something different."

Eri bit her bottom lip and slowly backed up until she was against what she thought was a wall, but much to her dismay, she hadn't noticed they'd successfully made it to the woman's dorms and were now standing in front of her door.

Munakata took the opportunity to cage her against the smooth piece of oak, leaning down much like he did that night in his office when she'd gone in to talk to him. When he closed his eyes, he could see her colorless aura surrounding him while his slowly began to seep in through the cracks that Eri's own aura allowed.

Knowing Awashima would be busy for the rest of the day, Munakata decided to take his time and brushed his nose against the soft skin under Eri's ear. Her hair fell against his face and would tickle his cheeks as he nuzzled his spot gently, sending shivers up and down her spine at the touch. He could feel her body shivering at his very minuscule ministrations, thoroughly enjoying the idea of what else she was capable of if the tables turned in his favor.

"Miss Eri," Munakata whispered, using her first name that caused her to go rigid, "Tell me, why it is you're so frightened of me?"

Eri released the breath she'd been holding when Munakata began his slow torture, "It's not you," She closed her eyes and could clearly see his blue aura that wished to engulf her, "I don't want to end up like my mother and lose myself."

"You won't," He pulled away enough to look down at her, "She was forced by a King she did not belong to, but you," He broke his cage to cup one of her cheeks gently, "You belong here, and have the opportunities she did not. I won't see you as a prisoner, but an asset to my clan and most importantly, my most trusted partner."

"Munakata..." All of the words she wished to say, and every demand she'd had stored and prepared for this very moment died with his declaration.

"Trust me," His eyes bore into her own, "Just this once, trust me."

Slowly, Eri inhaled before giving the faintest of nods.

With a serene smile, Munakata slowly lowered his head until their lips were mere millimeters apart. Already, the electricity passing through the two became too tempting, that he wasted no more time and sealed their lips together in what should have been a gentle kiss. Eri's hands shot up to grab a hold of the front of his jacket to anchor her down as the feeling of his aura broke through her barrier, wrapping itself around her entire being like a warm cocoon. Munakata himself felt the exchange and almost groaned into their kiss at the feel of her entire being touching his own beyond imagination.

It completely surpassed what could be explained and beyond anything he could comprehend, leaving the Blue King without words for once in his life.

Eri too was left speechless and melted against his body while enjoying the tingling shivers that racked through her body by just a simple kiss.

Munakata was first to pull away, looking down at her with his eyes locked onto her own. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were tinged a darker pink than before due to their kiss. Her light blues, which were previously green from the minor contact of the Green Clan before he had taken her into Scepter 4's custody, were now a mesmerizing azure color. They almost mirrored his own, but with much more allure and depth that could make a man go mad with wonder.

"It would seem that I was right in my assumptions that you really do belong here," His hand brushed her cheek once again before he reached higher to run his fingers through her hair, "Your eyes have changed color yet again."

Eri blinked, "They have?" She thought for a moment before shrugging, "It must go along with this aura business that the women in my family go through."

"So it would seem," He chuckled, "Now then..."

"What is it– _hmph_!" Eri was silenced with yet another kiss, only this time it was much deeper and more passionate than the first.

After feeling her aura bond with Munakata's, every touch became much more persuading and tempted her to dive deeper into her partners' depths. It really was as Munakata had told her, leaving her breathless at the unreal, exotic feeling of his lips on her own and his tongue dancing along with hers. Reaching up, Eri laced her fingers in his soft blue locks to bring him closer while his arms wrapped around her waist so he could have her flush against his torso.

As the two finally pulled away, Eri couldn't help but look up at him to observe his expression and felt her insides twist at the clearly happy look on his face.

"I won't be a pawn for you to use, no matter how good of a kisser you are," Eri muttered, her cheeks becoming a lovely shade of crimson once more.

Munakata leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Of course not. I have much better plans for you, my dear Eri."

"Like?"

"Well," His voice was laced with something she couldn't quite pinpoint but whatever it was sent shudders circulating through her core, "I'd like to discuss that further with you, but first, I want to continue testing our new boundaries."

Eri blinked, "You said that to me the last time."

"I did, however," His lips pulled into a teasing smirk while one of his hands reached behind her to twist her door open, his voice having dropped another octave and now had a very seductive tone to it, "This time, we can both enjoy the repercussions of our new bond while getting to know one another on a more _intimate_  level."


	21. CH XXI - Rikio Kamamoto (II) - Our First Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, confession. I have a serious soft spot for Kamamoto, and this is the result of that LMAO

**_One Year Earlier – Summer_ **

"Ah, Rikio," Kamamoto watched as his grandmother turned to face him as he entered her kitchen, "I have a guest coming over for dinner tonight, so would you be a dear and set the table for me?"

Kamamoto smiled and nodded, "Who are you having over?"

"Kinkako's daughter, Meira," She turned and grinned at Kamamoto, "I think you'll like her. She's an extremely sweet young lady, and she's very excited to meet you."

The blond looked at his grandmother and grinned, "Really? Well not to toot my own horn, but it seems most girls like me when I look like this."

"She's seen you when you were chubby and happy," She smirked at her grandson before returning to preparing the meal, "Meira actually prefers you plump."

Kamamoto almost dropped the plates from his hand as he stared at his grandmother, "R-Really?!"

"Mm-hmm," She was smirking while she continued with her cooking, "Is that hard to believe a young lady actually likes you for you, Rikio?"

"Kind of, actually..." Kamamoto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess I just got so used to working hours at the bar and seeing all of the girls gawking over me when I look like this."

She turned and gave Kamamoto a droll stare, "I think that's the vainest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

"I guess," He grinned, "So when is Meira coming over?"

He watched as his grandmother looked over at the clock, "She should be here any minute now."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang and the sound of the elder lady's loud voice welcoming their guest into the house could be heard from the kitchen. Kamamoto waited patiently while he heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of shoes being kicked off. He inwardly felt a little nervous as the sound of light footsteps padded their way to the kitchen, although all of the confidence he once had could not prepare him for what he was about to see.

What first caught Kamamoto's attention was her warm brown eyes that seemed to shine in the light coming from his grandmother's open window. She had long brown hair that matched her eyes that was loosely curled and framed from her face down the expanse of her shoulders and back. Albeit small, she had a lovely round face and pale skin that complimented her matching brown hair and eyes.

To Kamamoto, she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Hello, Meira!" His grandmother turned to face her while carrying a finished pot of chicken stew in her hands and walked to the table to set it down in the middle, "Don't you look cute today. If your mother keeps buying you dresses, I think we'll have to nickname you 'Porcelain Doll'."

Meira giggled and winked, "I wouldn't mind that."

"It would definitely suit you," She grinned at the younger female before slapping her hand down on Kamamoto's shoulder, "As I'm sure you're already aware, this is my grandson, Rikio."

Kamamoto shook his head to release himself from his stupor and smiled brightly while extending his hand for her to take, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Meira smiled back and took his hand gently into her own, "Your grandmother has told me a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope..." Kamamoto chuckled uneasily, knowing that his grandmother was known for being extremely mischievous despite her old age.

Meira grinned, "Well, to avoid getting her into trouble I'll just say that most of what she said was good."

Kamamoto groaned slightly but ended up chuckling after seeing Meira smile up at him. Observing from the side, his grandmother grinned to herself and quickly finished bringing everything for their meal to the table before ushering for the two to sit down.

"So Meira, have you decided whether or not you're going to go back to school or just continue to help your mother in the shop for a little while longer?" The elder lady asked, deciding to begin the conversation to avoid any awkward air between the two young adults.

Meira looked at her and smiled, "I'll most likely help my mother for another year and really give a lot of thought as to what I want to do, but I figured since I don't want to waste time and money while I don't know what I want to do yet that I'll take my time."

"Wise choice," She nodded.

Kamamoto looked at Meira, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well," Meira took a bite of her stew and smiled brightly at the flavor, "I originally wanted to become a nurse, but my mother told me because I let things go to heart too much that I wouldn't be that great for the job. She said that there's a certain level where you have to cut yourself off, and I just don't have the heart to do that."

"You seem the type," Kamamoto smiled and nodded, "Gran' tells me you have a very big, kind heart."

Meira nodded and giggled, "Yeah, but sometimes it gets me into a lot of trouble."

After the dinner, Kamamoto and Meira offered to clean the table and do the dishes while his grandmother went and sat down. She decided to take them up on their offer, grinning from ear to ear at the fact the two wanted to spend time alone together.

"So what do you do for work?" Meira looked at Kamamoto while handing him a bowl to dry.

Kamamoto accepted it and quickly cleaned the water droplets off with the towel he held in his hand, "I work for a good friend that runs a bar here in town. I'm one of the five part-time waiters there, but that's not what my primary job is."

"I see," Meira smiled, "Will you tell me, or do I have to guess?"

Kamamoto grinned, "Well, let's hear what your ideas are first and then I'll tell you."

Meira looked deep in thought for a moment as she washed another bowl, "Hmm, let me see..." She handed him said bowl before reaching for the pot, "I know you're a part of the Red Clan, as my mother and your grandmother talk a lot and I overheard one of their conversations once so you must do chores for the Red King?"

"That's no fun if you already knew," Kamamoto chuckled, "But yes, I do work for the Red King, Mikoto Suoh. I'm partners with a kid named Yata for when we go on patrols since it's part of one of our clan rules that no one goes off on their own no matter what."

Meira nodded, "Mikoto Suoh, is he a good King?"

"He is," Kamamoto smiled fondly, "He's a very accepting person as well, although I think it's the influence of his girlfriend and Tatara that turned him into a softy."

He felt his chest tighten at the sound of her light giggle, "Well, they always say behind every great man there's an even greater woman who made him that way."

Kamamoto nodded, "I have to agree with that one. She's definitely an amazing person, that's for sure. Kusanagi told us to address her as the Red Queen, but she just insists we call her 'mum'."

"You speak of her so fondly," Meira grinned, "She must be one heck of a lady."

The tall blond nodded with a bright grin, "That she is, but she'd have to be to stay around a bunch of guys who do nothing but fight half the time and be in a relationship with our boss."

Once the dishes were finished and the kitchen was cleaned, Kamamoto offered to walk Meira home (much to his grandmother's obvious pleasure and excitement). As the two left, Kamamoto continued to tell her things about his life before meeting Mikoto and the others. He also found it very charming that such a delicate, beautiful young girl like herself was so understanding and thoughtful of him being a member of such a dangerous faction.

"You know, most people are extremely intimidated by the fact that I work under Mikoto Suoh," Kamamoto admitted, "But you seem to be so... Relaxed about the situation. Why is that?"

Meira looked up at him, "I don't tend to judge people by the type of people they associate themselves with, but rather save and express my opinion on the person themselves. You're a very charming, kind and friendly guy, Rikio. Why should I be prejudice again you because you're a part of a dangerous clan?"

"Fair enough," Kamamoto grinned at the compliment, "Okay so I have to ask, what's a girl like you doing single? You're way too beautiful and nice to be single."

Meira blushed, "Well actually, I've never had a boyfriend before."

"What?!" Kamamoto's jaw went slack, "You've got to be kidding me!"

She giggled and nodded, "I've always helped my mother with her shop after school, so I never got the chance to go out on dates or anything like that. I know I'm missing out, but I figure that eventually, the right guy will come along," He didn't miss the sly grin that suddenly pulled at her features, "And I did!"

Kamamoto stared at her silently for a moment before pointing up to himself, "Me?"

"Mm-hmm!"

The two stopped on the middle of the sidewalk while other teenagers and adults passed them by. Some girls would swoon and giggle, commenting on how gorgeous Kamamoto was or how lucky Meira was to be in his company. Some adults would smile and compliment them on being a beautiful couple, while others simply went about their own business.

"Okay," Kamamoto blinked, "What did my grandmother say she'd give you for putting you up to this?"

Meira blinked as well, "Huh?" She crossed her arms under her chest and frowned, "Do you think she put me up to this?"

"Well, yes..." Kamamoto reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, "Why else would you be interested in a guy like me?"

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Meira closed the distance while reaching down to take his other hand, "You're too hard on yourself, Rikio," She smiled and began pulling him along to continue their walk, "Don't be so surprised that you're actually well liked."

Kamamoto followed her and blinked once again, "So, you're serious?"

"I am!" She grinned, "And I would like to go out on a date with you at some point!"

A smile suddenly broke out on his face, "Really? Well, I'd love to take you out!"

"Ahh~ what lovely change in attitude!" Meira giggled and smiled up at him, "Good because I was about to pull out the alligator tears and the irresistible pout if you'd of continued thinking I was lying."

Kamamoto chuckled, "Oh, I really would have been in trouble, then!"

"You would have," She winked.


	22. CH XXII - Eric Solt (II) - Thank You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was pretty happy with the way this turned out after editing a few things. Keep in mind, back in 2016 I wasn't editing nearly anything I posted, so it was basically all raw and unfiltered material I let other people read. That being said, I do like the character I devised for Eric. She's actually one of my top five favorites.

Eric continued his walk down the back alleys in the surrounding territory of HOMRA while he and his partner patrolled their designated area. Two hours after leaving the bar, the duo decided it would be easier to simply split up to cover more ground before nightfall. Eric, having already been eager to get out and into some fresh air, was more than happy to agree with his partner, Kosuke.

He was fifteen minutes away from joining up with Kosuke when a familiar voice caught his attention from the opening of the alleyway. Deciding to investigate, Eric quickly took a sharp turn and made his way to the opening. Sure enough, there stood the woman who was the first to show him that people could have a soft, genuinely caring side to them.

"Hey!" Eric blurted out without thinking, pocketing his hands in the front pocket of his blue sweater as he walked out of the alley and into the open.

Kian turned around and smiled softly, "Eric! How are you?"

"I'm good," He answered with a small smile, "Are you just finishing work?"

Kian nodded, "If you can believe that. My boss decided to take pity on me and give me a few day shifts since I'm done school for the summer," She watched him, "What have you been up to lately?"

"I found myself some good people to work with," Eric admitted honestly, having already revealed to her his past with his parents being a part of his ex-gang, Hikawa, "You would like them."

Her smile turned bright, "That's great! I'm so happy for you, Eric!"

She couldn't help but notice that he'd put on a considerable amount of weight compared to when she had found him that night, and that his whole demeanor had changed. She could tell that he had life brought back to his crystal blue eyes and the smile he gave to her was a genuine one.

"I have to say, you're looking a lot better than when I'd first met you," Kian grinned, "You look good now that you've gotten some meat on your bones."

Eric looked at her and blinked for a moment, "You think?" He looked down at himself before looking into her brown eyes, "Thanks."

The two stood in silence for a moment when Eric crossed the distance between the two and reached up to put a hand on her shoulder, "I still never got a chance to properly thank you for your kindness and hospitality."

"Don't mention it," Kian smiled up at him, "It was the least I could do to help you out."

He gave a curt shake of his head, "I insist."

"What do you have in mind?" Kian's brow rose but the smile never left her face.

"Would you like to come and meet everyone and maybe have a drink with me?" Eric offered, a hesitant smile stretching onto his face.

Kian nodded, "Sure!"

"Jeez, there you are!" Kosuke's voice suddenly boomed from behind him in the depths of the alley, "Here I was worried that you were in trouble, but I find you flirting with a girl!"

Eric and Kian both looked at Kosuke as he walked out of the alley, "Actually, she's the one I told you all about," Kosuke went slightly wide-eyed at Eric's words, "Kian, this is my partner for patrols, Kosuke. Like you, he found me when I was out on my own and brought me to HOMRA."

Kosuke held out his hand with a smile, "It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Kian accepted his hand and nodded, "Likewise! I'm happy that Eric was able to find better people than the ones he was originally with."

"You seem to care an awful lot about him," Kosuke suddenly broke out into a grin while both Eric's and Kian's cheeks tinted pink, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a crush on him."

Eric glared at his partner before looking at Kian, "Don't mind him," He chuckled.

Kian watched the two and couldn't believe she was really in front of the same Eric she had found sitting in a pile of trash that night. It was like he was a completely different person, and for the better, too.

"So," Eric turned to Kian, "Are you busy?"

Kian smiled and shook her head, "No. I was just heading home to sit on the couch and watch TV."

Both Kian and Kosuke were slightly surprised when Eric held his hand out to her, "Would you still like to come over for that drink, then?"

Unable to refuse the smile he was giving her, she reached out and placed her hand in his, "Certainly."

Kosuke shook his head and chuckled, "Who knew that the rude German kid with no manners had smooth moves when it came to women."

"I don't," Eric quickly replied, "I'm just being friendly."

"Yeah," Kosuke smirked as he eyed their hands, " _Friendly_."

Kian glared at Kosuke but didn't make a comment, silently following the two down the alley to head the quicker way towards HOMRA's bar. When they arrived, only Kusanagi was inside tending to his wine glasses.

"Oh, you two are back early," Kusanagi turned to face them when he heard the door open and suddenly smiled, "And I see you brought a friend with you."

Kosuke nodded and headed towards one of the sofas to sit down and relax, "This is the lovely lady that saved our dear friend Eric's life."

"Is she now?" Kusanagi smiled at Kian, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Izumo Kusanagi, the owner of this bar."

Kian walked with Eric to the bar and sat on one of the stools, "Nice to meet you, Izumo. I'm Kian Ballah."

"Just Kusanagi is fine," He smiled and set the glass he had been cleaning down, "Since we've officially met, what can I get for you? My treat, as a thank you for taking care of one of our boys."

Kian blushed, "Uh, well... Just rum and lime, please."

"As you wish, mademoiselle," Kusanagi bowed slightly with his hand on his chest before fixing her drink up.

Eric took his spot beside her and watched her, "All of the guys here are friendly like Kusanagi, so if you get a chance to meet them all don't be nervous."

"How many of you guys are there?" Kian looked from Eric to Kusanagi and thanked him for her drink once it was sat in front of her.

Kusanagi smiled, "We're quite a big family here. Twelve major clansmen and the rest are branched off doing their own thing most of the time, but they're still family to us."

"Wow," Kian blinked, "So then, you guys are a clan?"

"We are," Kusanagi picked up a cloth and began shining another wine glass, "We're a part of the Red Clan, governed by our King, Mikoto Suoh. He's the third and Red King in the entire hierarchy of seven."

Kian nodded slowly and processed what she'd learned, "I see," She took a sip of her drink before looking at Eric, "You really lucked out when you found them, didn't you?"

"They found me, actually," Eric chuckled, "Much like when you'd found me that night, Kosuke found me in a similar situation and brought me here."

"We couldn't say no to a guy like him," Kusanagi interjected, "Despite the fact he's got absolutely no manners."

Kian giggled, "He wasn't very mannerly with me, either."

Eric frowned, "Hey, don't pick on me."

"Why not?" She grinned, "It's not every day I get to joke around with friends of yours."

Kusanagi chuckled and watched the two, immediately sensing the connection flowing through them. He could tell by the looks they were giving each other that it wasn't simply friendship that was in the works, but something a little more intimate.

Truth be told, Kusanagi mentioned not once but twice that it would do Eric some good to have a woman in his life a few weeks prior to meeting Kian.

"So," Kusanagi interrupted their little moment and grinned, "Are you going to have her stay to meet the rest of the gang?"

Eric looked at Kian, "If she'd like to."

"Sure," She smiled, "I'd love to meet the rest of your group."

Kusanagi nodded, "Well, don't be surprised if you become a member of the family afterward. Most people that get invited to meet everyone end up having an extended invitation offered by our King and, or, his lover."

"Oh?" Kian looked at him.

The bartender nodded once more with a smile, "You'd like our lovely lady friends of HOMRA. They're all very welcoming."

"I can't wait," Kian grinned.

\- x -

"So you're from Germany, eh?" Kian looked at Eric from across the table after Kusanagi politely kicked them away from his rosewood baby to begin his obsessive polishing, "I kind of figured when you said your name that you were also a foreigner."

He nodded, "My parents moved to Japan after receiving Hikawa's invitation. They were both German and could speak their born tongue, fluent English and Japanese."

"Wow," She smiled, "That's talented. So do you speak English and German as well?"

Eric nodded with a small smile, "Yes. My mother made sure that I would be able to speak both my mother tongue and English if I were to ever move away from Japan."

"Smart of her to think so," Kian shifted in her seat, "I would love to learn another language, but I can only speak Japanese aside from English."

"I could teach you some German if you'd like?" He offered.

Kian looked at him with slightly wide eyes, "Really? That would be awesome."

"No worries," He chuckled.

The two continued with idle chatter until the door burst open, causing Kian to jump in her seat and look over. Eric looked over as well, blinking as Yata and Reina came hurdling through the doors side by side.

"I win!" Reina grinned brightly and looked at Yata, "Admit it! I got through the door one step before you!"

Yata smirked, "As if! I had you in my dust!"

"In your dreams, perhaps~" Reina taunted.

Kusanagi looked over at the two, "What are you betting on this time?"

"Probably something sexual," Kosuke looked over to the two and watched Yata's face turn pink, confirming his suspicion, "I figured as much."

"Actually, we were betting on the winner getting a full body massage, thank you very much!" Reina huffed as she crossed her arms, "And seeing as how I won, that means I get pampered tonight~"

Yata snorted, "Yeah, yeah. I'll give you the win since you're in denial that I was the one who actually got through the door first."

"Don't be so sour about it, Yata-chan~" Reina poked his cheek causing him to turn a darker shade of pink, "Oh," She blinked looking over to where Eric and Kian sat, "Who might this be?"

Kian blushed when both Yata and Reina looked over but smiled, "I'm Kian Ballah, a friend of Eric's."

"So you're the wonder woman we've heard so much about!" Reina crossed the room and all but grabbed Kian's hand excitedly, "I'm Reina Misaki and that's Misaki Yata, but he prefers being called Yata since his name is a girl's name."

" _REINA_ ," Yata groaned, "Do you have to say that to every new person we meet?!"

"Of course I do," Reina cast him a wink from over her shoulder, "So, are you and Eric going to start dating?"

Both Kian and Eric went red, "Uh..."

"Sure they are!" Kosuke suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Eric couldn't stop talking about how great she was, so obviously he likes her."

Kian looked at Eric and watched as he shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish smile and the red still staining his cheeks, "I couldn't help it."

 _At least he's honest!_ Kian thought with a giggle, "I see."

"Has she met mum yet?" Reina looked over to Kusanagi, who shook his head, "That's too bad. Kaori was really looking forward to meeting her at some point."

Kusanagi smiled, "Well, that definitely won't be today. Mikoto and Kaori are staying at her apartment for the very last night before she officially moves in here with him, so I wouldn't count on either of them showing their faces here today and most of tomorrow."

"And you all say Reina and I are bad," Yata muttered.

Reina giggled and nodded, "Yeah, I've been told Kaori and Mikoto get quite rowdy and loud when they're at it."

"They do," Kusanagi confirmed with a sigh, "Mikoto also almost always burns her apartment down when they're really into it, so I'm not looking forward to them being here by themselves."

Reina smirked, "At least Yata doesn't burst into flames when he–"

"REINA," Yata jumped at her, grabbing her around her shoulders and used a hand to cup over her mouth, "Don't go spouting that stuff in front of everyone!"

Reina glared up at him while all of the others laughed happily.

Eventually, several others wandered their way into the bar and introduced themselves to Kian, who was more than happy to make their acquaintance. She felt herself enjoying every moment that she was there, often times finding Eric watching her make sure she had a smile on her face. If she didn't, he made sure to poke at her until she did.

Unfortunately for her, she had only had the chance to meet Reina out of all the girls but thoroughly enjoyed the fact she was so spirited.

"Wow," She looked at the clock not realizing the time, "I need to get going."

Reina frowned, "You have to go?"

"Unfortunately," Kian stood up and grabbed her coat, "I have work in the morning."

Yata, who had grown quite fond of Kian due to the fact Reina expressed her extreme liking of her, grinned and looked at Eric, "I'm sure Eric won't mind walking you home."

"And maybe staying the night," Kosuke added with a smirk.

Kian shook her head with a sigh, "You two are impossible."

Eric stood up, ignoring the comments after having been at their mercy the entire evening and looked at Kian with a smile, "I don't mind walking you home."

"You sure?" She looked at him and when he nodded she smiled, "Alright. Well, maybe I'll come by tomorrow and see everyone?"

Kusanagi smiled, "You're more than welcome," She returned his smile and he chuckled, "I'm glad we didn't scare you off."

"It would take more than what I've seen to scare me," Kian giggled.

After saying their goodbyes, Eric led Kian out of the bar and the two began their walk to her apartment. She opted for the walk after Eric offered to sit with her on the bus but once they realized what a nice evening it was, they both agreed on getting the fresh air.

"Sorry about them," Eric looked down at her, "They don't know when to stop half the time."

Kian smiled and squeezed his hand gently, "It's alright. I found it kind of amusing and cute, actually."

"Really?" He blinked, "You found being teased about being my secret girlfriend cute?"

Kian smiled, "Why not? It's better than getting uptight and insulted about it!"

"True," He nodded in agreement, "So... About that..."

"You can take me out on a date before I say 'yes' to be your girlfriend," Kian answered his question before he even got it out, "I believe in going on at least one date before becoming an official couple."

Eric looked down at her and nodded, "That's fair," He gave her an innocent smile, "Considering we've already slept together..."

"Don't start on me like those guys back there," Kian giggled, "Just because I let you sleep in my bed that night doesn't mean anything!"

His lips slightly jutted out in a small pout, "Oh, come on."

Kian looked at him and sighed dramatically, "Okay, fine. But you're still taking me on a real date before I call myself your girlfriend."

"Fine, fine," Eric chuckled and finally gave in, linking his fingers with hers gently even though the two had been walking hand in hand the entire time.


	23. CH XXIII - Yo Chitose (I) - Out of His League

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I took inspiration from a good friend of mine for Rin's character and was happy with how this turned out. That said, I wanted to introduce Chitose's character while he interacts with a woman who isn't exactly what he normally goes after. I know the whole incident with Maria Yobukiri went somewhat similar to her talking about her ex and all, but at the same time, it's different!

Like many nights before, Chitose found himself walking towards the bar he usually chose on his lonely nights. Walking in, he quickly scanned the entirety and noticed it wasn't as packed as it normally was. He made his way over to the counter and ordered his first drink, not noticing a young woman that had just walked in sat down beside him until she spoke to order her own drink.

She had long dark hair that was curled to perfection that danced over the pale skin of her exposed shoulders. She was wearing a black tank top that, much to Chitose's excitement, was very form fitting and showed off how large her bust was. She also had dark wash jeans that hugged the curve of her round bottom and her very appealing thighs with knee-high boots to finish her appearance off.

Chitose looked at her and felt his lips tug into a smirk, "Why, hello there."

"Not interested," Came her droll response, while the bartender snickered as if he knew she would give Chitose that reply.

His brown eyes widened slightly at the blunt rejection as he watched her thank the man for her drink before hopping off the stool to walk towards one of the pool tables.

"Better look somewhere else, Chitose," The male bartender, Orosuke, chuckled and grinned at him, "She's a tough one to crack. She's been coming here for years and not once have I ever seen one guy successfully catch her attention or engage her in a conversation that lasted more than a minute."

Chitose couldn't help but grin as he leaned back and chugged down his drink before setting the empty glass on the counter, "I take that as a challenge."

"You're a brave man, Chitose," The man chuckled and shook his head, "I'll be sure to prepare you a strong cocktail once she crushes your ego and rejects you."

Ignoring the man's teasing, Chitose hopped off his stool and walked over to the pool table the lovely lady was now occupying.

"You're either very brave or incredibly naive," Her cold tone bit into him while he walked around the other side to grab a pool cue, "Do women often give you positive reinforcement to your advances?"

Chitose watched her make her move before her dark eyes locked onto him while she waited for his response and for him to continue the game, "Actually, I was interested in getting to know you."

"Changing your strategy, are you? Alright, I'll play along for a few minutes," She mused, watching him as he bent over the table and shot the cue forward, "Impressive," She watched as the cue ball quickly struck three of the number balls and all landed in two holes, "You're fairly decent at pool."

"I've had practice," Chitose grinned, "So tell me, what's a beautiful young woman like yourself doing in a bar full of men?"

She leaned over the table struck the cue ball herself, successfully pitting four balls, "I know the owner of this bar quite well, so I tend to come here more often than I'm willing to admit."

"I see," Chitose watched before making another move, "If you're here often, why don't you bartend here?"

She watched him and gave a shrug of her shoulder, "I'm not sociable enough for that type of position."

"You seem rather sociable to me," He looked up at her and stood up straight.

She eyed him carefully for a moment before making the final move, ending the game with her last shot and reached for the mold to place all of the balls in to start another game.

"Tell me something," Her tone was light but he knew her words were going to be anything but, "Are you normally quite friendly to everyone you meet, or do you just enjoy flirting with women to fill some void in yourself?"

Chitose's brow rose, "Excuse me?"

"On the outside, you seem very secure in your own skin in an almost vain way," Her dark eyes locked onto his, "But I can tell that you've perfected a facade that enables you to hide your insecurities, even more so when you look me in the eyes."

Chitose stood there and stared at her, completely taken off guard and unable to respond to that. She had unmasked him and saw his inner self so easily and was able to read him like an open book. He shook off the uneasiness that suddenly wafted through him.

"I take it that my assumptions were correct?" Her brow quirked and a minuscule smile twitched at the corner of her lips, "To answer your question, I'm a clinical psychology student in my last year. If I wasn't able to read you so openly, I wouldn't be good at my future career."

Chitose nodded and leaned against the pool cue in his hands, "Damn, and here I thought I was just that exposed."

"Despite what I've said, you do seem like you can be a kindhearted person," She admitted, "Which is why I'm causing my dear friend Orosuke there to watch us with a slack jaw and wide-eyed expression."

He suddenly grinned and chuckled, "Well, we could always shock him some more and sit down? I'd like to get to know you better."

"You're asking me to go and have a chat with you when you don't even know my name?" Her brow quirked.

Chitose never lost the grin, "If I asked you for it would you even give it to me?"

"Perhaps if you asked politely," She met his challenge.

Deciding to play along, Chitose set the pool cue down and made his way over to her from around the table, "Hello miss, might I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Classy," She smiled up at him, "Rin Sakimoto."

Chitose smiled back, "Beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"Don't push your luck," She set her pool cue down as well and allowed Chitose to lead her a table.

Off to the side, Orosuke was watching the two with obvious fascination.

"So tell me," Chitose sat opposite to her and watched her with a charming smile, "What made you want to study psychology?"

Rin sat back in her seat comfortably before answering him, "I've always been fascinated by the human mind and how it works," She crossed her arms under her chest, "What about you? What do you do for work?"

"My job is a little different than what you could imagine," Chitose leaned against the table after folding his arms in front of him, "To be completely honest, I work for one of Japan's seven Kings. I'm a part of the Red Clan and work for Mikoto Suoh, the third King."

"I see," She smiled, "I hear that clans have bonds that run thicker than blood, so you must be close with your members."

Chitose nodded, "Yeah. My best friend is also a part of the clan so I mostly hang around with him."

"Is he like you?" She grinned playfully at him, "Or does he level out your womanizing tendencies?"

He brushed off her comment and smirked, "He knew me when I was in school, so he's used to me being this way," There was a slight pause before he shifted and let his smirk melt into a calm smile, "He's a lot more composed and calm compared to some of the other members, but he has his moments just like everyone."

"He seems like he's a good match for you," Rin commented, "Not sexually, of course."

"I'd hope not," Chitose chuckled, "I can handle him being my best friend but I don't dig dudes like that."

She nodded, "Going to tell me what caused you to enable this facade of yours? It must have been a fairly traumatic experience in order for you to change over the way you view women."

"Well, since you pinpointed it," Chitose sighed and leaned back against his seat, "I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

Rin offered him a kind smile, "I don't judge people for their past mistakes, Chitose."

"I'd hope not considering the profession you're going into," He smirked before taking a moment to gather his words, "I had a really serious relationship back when I was in school and I guess after she broke up with me, I never really took relationships with women seriously."

"She broke your heart, did she?" Rin added, and watched as he nodded in confirmation, "To be honest with you, I've had something similar happen to me that ruined my dating phase for a good, long while."

Chitose's brow rose, "Oh? You got your heart broken, too?"

"Well, it's a proven fact that women tend to have a harder time letting go, not to mention every woman and man go through at least one rough break up," Rin looked up at the ceiling, "But yes, when he broke my heart and left me there to wonder why he left me, it was one of the hardest experiences I'd ever gone through at that point in my life."

Chitose frowned, "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"Not at all," Rin looked at him, "It's not something I'm particularly proud of to talk about but at the same time, it's the past and we all learn from our mistakes. He was into sports more than he was into his relationship, so when it came down to going off to college he made the decision to spread rumors around about me instead of facing me like a man. I'd gotten called a slut, whore... You name it, I was called it."

"What a dick," Chitose couldn't help but glare, "You don't need someone like that in your life, for sure."

"He was a coward that couldn't face me because he felt he would change his mind if he met me eye-to-eye," Rin said, "We weren't together for a whole year, but it was still nine months of my life that I wish I could have gotten back."

Chitose nodded, "Sometimes just thinking about that can make it worse," Rin nodded in agreement, "When my girlfriend at the time decided she wanted out, she strung me along for over a month before I finally realized what was happening. Come to find out, everyone else knew about her wanting to break up with me before me."

"Gotta love people like that," Rin muttered, "I apologize for being so abrasive when you first met me, but like you, I developed a second skin for things like this."

He shook his head, "Don't apologize."

There was a pregnant pause between the two while they simply observed one another and took in each other's features and appearance. Despite having eyed her entirely when she first came in and sat down for a drink, he now saw her as a beautiful woman instead of a sexy vixen that he wanted to bed.

Chitose, for the first time in a long time, wanted to know Rin before he initiated anything. He felt as though they would both enjoy what might come if it were mutual and for the right reasons.

"You're not looking, are you?" Chitose had to ask, causing Rin to look at him with a quirked brow.

"I haven't given it much thought, considering when I come in here I only get hit on by men that want my body for one evening and that's it," She answered truthfully, "Why? Do you think you stand a chance?"

With a smirk, he nodded, "I think you and I could get along quite well after we get past the 'getting to know you' stage."

"Don't try your womanizing trickery on me, Chitose," Rin fought back a smirk, "Although, after what we'd just shared, I give you props for attempting it one last time."

"Thank you," He chuckled, "I couldn't help myself. It's all I've got."

Rin slipped out from her seat at the booth they occupied and walked to his side, "You've got one shot, wonder boy."


	24. CH XXIV - HOMRA - Summertime Miracles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that I got the idea from the Memories of Red manga, but I felt like having a chapter where everyone was allowed to be themselves and enjoy time with their fellow members. Also, one of the female characters has hemophilia A, which is you go and look up is actually a rare blood disorder but type A isn't as serious or life-threatening as type B. I did a lot of research into that for this chapter, as well as treatments for hemophilia so I didn't just pull that all out of my ass! Enjoy~ ;)
> 
> Note to any readers that may have read the original from 2016, I did actually do quite a bit to this editing wise, so you'll definitely notice some changes! :)

"Thanks again for helping me with this morning's order, Akira," Kusanagi smiled as he set down one of his heavier boxes on the top of his bar, "I definitely appreciate it."

Akira smiled back, "No problem," She emptied two containers before reaching for another box, "So I've been meaning to ask," Kusanagi looked at her and nodded for her to continue, "Is it true that we're going to the beach today?"

Kusanagi chuckled and nodded, "It's kind of a tradition here with the boys that every summer all of HOMRA packs up and goes to the beach for the whole day and then finish it off with a bonfire," He finished with another box and turned to look at her fully, "Everyone has a lot of fun, even Mikoto."

"You mean our beloved Red King actually joins you guys? Wow," Akira giggled, "I didn't think he ever left the bar other than to go beat up bad guys or to go visit Kaori."

"Well, he usually just lazes underneath one of the umbrellas on a chair but he's still there," Kusanagi smiled, "That's all that matters to the boys."

Akira nodded, "Yeah, especially Yata. He seems so fond of Mikoto, it's unreal."

"That he does," Kusanagi nodded in agreement, "It's not Yata or Mikoto that you should be talking about, though. Wait until you see Rikio."

She crossed her arms under her bust as her brow rose, "Why's that?"

"You'll see," He grinned, "Now, we should get everything packed into those baskets that Kyra borrowed from her mother so when all of the boys get here, we can have them packed in the van and ready to go."

Akira nodded and got straight to work, going into the kitchen to grab all of the platters and desserts that Tatara and Yata had prepared the night before to pack them into the baskets. Kusanagi also followed her into the kitchen with a large Tupperware bin for all of the non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages to be packed in, glancing over to her fondly as she did her task.

"You know," She looked over her shoulder and blushed slightly when she noticed he was watching her, "It's awfully quiet in the bar when all of the boys aren't here."

"Mm," Kusanagi chuckled, "Not for very long, though. You forget we have two Yata's now."

Akira grinned and nodded, remembering when Reina finally popped out of her shell and showed her true colors. Yata and her were like a mirror image of each other.

Kusanagi suddenly looked down at his watch, "Everyone should be arriving shortly, so let's get these out on the tables," He looked at Akira and smiled, "After that, you can go and get changed into your bathing suit if you'd like."

She nodded and smiled at him, soon helping him lug out two boxes of drinks and the five very full picnic baskets full of food. After setting the very last one on the counter, the door burst open and soon all of HOMRA's members flooded into the room with happy smiles on their faces.

"Sorry, we're late!" Akagi grinned, "San-chan had to stop by his sister's to help her with something, so on our way, we just picked everyone up and brought them with us."

Kusanagi looked over and chuckled, "It's alright. Can you guys get the van packed, now? All of the chairs, towels, and umbrellas are all in the back closet where they always are."

Bando, Akagi, and Fujishima were quick to jump into action and quickly rushed to go grab all of their beach gear while Eric, Bando, and Dewa grabbed their food and drinks to take out to the truck.

"Kamamoto called," Chitose looked at Kusanagi, "He and Meira are running late, so they'll meet us there. He said he was going to bring all of the firewood that we'll need."

Kusanagi nodded, "Yata must be joining him because he and Reina left early this morning to go grab a few things for themselves."

"Probably condoms and lube," Chitose grinned and chuckled, "Those two are worse than fucking bunnies."

Kusanagi slapped the back of Chitose's head, "That's none of your concern, so just go and help them pack the van."

Chitose muttered to himself but went to go fill a couple of coolers with ice to bring to the truck, leaving Kusanagi to stand in the main bar area by himself while he thought about what else they needed to bring.

\- x -

Eventually, the group ended up leaving the bar after receiving a couple more phone calls from their other members, telling them that they'd meet them in the usual spot at the same beach they go to each year. Kusanagi, who had taken the liberty of offering to drive the van, sat back against his seat while closing his hand around Akira's as they sat in comfortable silence. He assured his lover that everything would be more than enjoyable, so she silenced her worries and simply smiled at him.

"Ah, they've already made it here before us," Kusanagi mused as he pulled into the parking lot and backed the van up beside one of the other HOMRA vans, "Alright guys, let's unpack and get out there."

There was a round of cheers as the back doors burst open while the guys hopped out and started hauling the gear to their usual spot in the sand. Akira hopped out of the van and rounded over to where Kusanagi had gotten out, looking up at him after observing all of the happy faces on all of the HOMRA boys.

"They really seem so excited," Akira smiled.

Kusanagi nodded with a chuckle, "It's one of the only times you'll see all of the family so happy."

The two made their way down over to where Reina was sitting on a blanket as Yata helped the guys piece everything together, "Oh good, you made it! I'm so glad you came, Akira!"

"Me too," She giggled, "Is it your first beach adventure, too?"

Reina grinned and nodded, "Yep! Kyra's, too! She and Tatara are on their way with mum, Anna, and Mikoto."

"Mum, eh?" Kusanagi chuckled, "She'd be excited to hear you call her that."

"She already knows I've got her nicknamed that," Reina answered with a wink.

"Hey, Kusanagi!" Yata waved as he ran up, "Are you going to join us for a game today?"

Kusanagi shook his head, "As always, I'm going to politely decline," He grinned at Yata's sour expression, "I'm sure you and Reina will be more than enough for those boys to handle once you start."

"We're not _that bad_ ," Yata muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, guys!"

Everyone turned to see Kamamoto and Meira walking up, "Hey!"

Akira stared at the two, "Uh, Meira... Where's Rikio?"

"That _is_ Rikio," Kusanagi grinned, "Amazing, isn't it?"

Akira nodded slowly and just gawked as he approached, "He doesn't even look like the same person!" Deciding to further inspect, she charged over and took a hold of his face and whipped his head from side-to-side, "It's almost like his whole bone structure changed, too!"

Meira giggled, "Yeah, he doesn't have his normal appetite in the summer so he drops a significant amount of weight and his hair grows mega fast!"

"It's true," Kamamoto chuckled.

Akira stared, "You don't even sound the same!"

"I think we broke, 'Kira," Reina laughed.

Kusanagi wrapped his arm around Akira's waist and gently guided her away from the younger male with a smile, "You'll get used to seeing him like that. It only lasts about a month before he goes back to his normal shape."

"I'll take your word for that," She barely answered, still in awe of Kamamoto's dramatic summertime transformation.

Once everything was set up and those who were already at the beach settled in until the rest of the group arrived, Chitose rounded up several of the boys and prepared the net so they could have their ritual (and intense) game of volleyball.

"Ready to get your ass kicked, Yata?" Chitose smirked.

Yata, who had been sitting beside Reina quietly, smirked back at him and got up, "As if. It'll be _you_ who gets your ass beat into the ground."

Kusanagi sat back on his chair underneath one of the large umbrellas, reaching into his breast pocket to grab his carton of cigarettes, "We only brought one ball with us, so don't destroy it this time."

Akira, who sat beside him on another chair, giggled and watched Yata frown as if he had been the only one Kusanagi had admonished, "You sound like their father."

"I've been told that more than once," He chuckled before placing the white stick between his lips and lit it with a flick of his fingers, "Seems like they made it just in time."

Akira and Reina both looked over to see a very excited Kyra pulling a smiling Tatara down the path behind her with Anna perched on his shoulders. Behind them, Mikoto followed the couple with Kaori on his back as she hugged his shoulders affectionately. At closer inspection, Kusanagi noticed that her left ankle was bound with a beige wrap.

"What took you guys so long?" Kusanagi teased, looking up at Kyra and Tatara once they were standing beside the umbrellas and chairs.

Tatara smiled, "Kyra figured Anna needed a new bathing suit since she's matured a little from our last excursion," Reaching up, he gently pulled Anna off his shoulders and set her down on her feet, "Isn't she adorable?"

Kyra grinned and pat Anna's head, "We made sure to get a red suit for her, too!"

"Look at you!" Reina grinned brightly, "You look so cute!"

Anna felt her cheeks burn slightly, "Thank you."

"So what happened to Kaori?" Akira looked over with a slight frown.

Mikoto and Kaori made their way to the chairs where he gently deposited her on one before taking his seat in between her legs and leaning back, "She lost her footing going up the stairs to her old apartment complex and twisted her ankle," He grinned slightly as he glanced back at her, "I don't mind, though."

"Yeah," Kaori snorted, "Just gives you more reason to carry me around and take me wherever _you_ want to go," She wrapped her arms loosely around his torso and held him there, "I see the boys are at it already."

Kusanagi nodded, "They were itching to get into the water but they wanted to wait for the rest of you all to show up, so they decided to opt for a game of volleyball."

"Kyra, look at your tummy!" Akira smiled, noticing that a decent sized bump was beginning to form, "You can now officially start taking progress pictures!"

Reina hopped up and reached out to touch the noticeable bump that was now Kyra's stomach, "It's not going to be much longer now until we can feel him or her kick!"

"I know!" Kyra was beaming, "I can feel him or her moving around a lot, but no feet yet! My next ultrasound we find out what sex the baby is, too!"

Tatara was grinning brightly, "It's so exciting!"

Akira giggled, "I don't know who is looking forward to this more," They both looked at her, "You or him, Kyra."

"We're about even," She winked.

"We're just waiting for King to hurry up and catch up to us," Tatara sent a sly glance in Mikoto's direction, "I can't be the only one who is excited to be a future father."

Mikoto shifted and looked over at Tatara, "I leave that choice in the hands of the madame."

"You sure you want a mini you running around?" Kaori teased with a smirk, "I can't imagine two Mikoto's lazing around all day complaining about being tired all the time."

Mikoto looked up at her and shrugged, "You're just worried that our kid will inherit my good looks and bad temper."

"I'd be totally okay if our baby had your looks," Kaori pouted, "But you're right about one thing. That temper I can do without, but it would come with the package so I'd have no say."

Tatara smiled, "I'm sure it would be a fantastic mix between the two of you."

"Yeah!" Kyra grinned, "So you should have a baby too, Kaori!"

Reina and Akira both nodded in agreement, purely excited on the fact that there would be a little one crawling around Kusanagi's bar in a short while. Having two would just put them all at their leisure.

"Apparently we have to have a kid," Mikoto closed his eyes with a small smile as he leaned into Kaori's torso, conveniently using her breasts as a pillow to cradle his head, "So what do you say, Kaori? Should we get started tonight?"

Her cheeks burned furiously, "Mikoto!"

"Ah, I love it when you yell my name," He sighed contently.

Kaori looked down at him incredulously, " _Mikoto_!"

"Even better when you scream it," A big smile stretched on his face, knowing his tactic for teasing his lover and causing her some form of embarrassment was working, "Although, I'd much rather you save that for tonight since we have to start working on our baby."

Kusanagi stared at Mikoto before shaking his head while Akira and Reina just watched the Red King lazily lounge against a blushing Kaori. Tatara grinned and chuckled at Mikoto's current behavior, thoroughly enjoying the fact that for the first time all winter, he was truly being himself while in the presence of others.

"Come on, Reina!" Yata suddenly broke the peace as he beckoned for her to go to him, "You too, Tatara! You agreed to play at least one game with us today!"

Reina darted over and stood beside Yata while Tatara sighed with a smile, "Alright, I'm coming!"

Kyra took a seat on the blanket Reina had been occupying and stretched her legs out comfortably while rubbing her belly, "Win one for us, hunny!"

"I'll try!" He winked before running over to them.

"You should go too, Izumo," Akira began with an innocent smile, "Work off some of that breakfast you had this morning."

He shot her a halfhearted, droll glare, "If I go out there it'll be at a disadvantage," He motioned over to them, "I'll make an uneven number."

"If you go I'll go," Mikoto suddenly said, "Seems only fitting that if you get forced into playing that I do, as well."

Kusanagi sighed, "I was hoping you weren't going to say that," With a chuckle, the bartender pushed himself up and onto his feet before stretching his arms above his head, "Might as well, seeing as how we're going to be here all day."

"Might as well," Mikoto agreed, lifting himself up from the comforting embrace of Kaori and looked back at her with a slight grin, "Save my seat?"

Kaori lifted her hand and pinched his cheek, "Go and remember to be good, ya big suck."

"I'll try, but no guarantees," Mikoto quickly leaned forward to press his lips to hers quickly before rising to his feet and following Kusanagi over to the rest of HOMRA.

Akira switched to the seat Kusanagi had been occupying which sat beside Kaori's and looked at her, "You feeling okay? You seem to be hurting yourself a lot lately," She frowned, "Your ankle is nothing serious, I hope?"

"As Mikoto said, it was just a moment of clumsiness," Kaori offered her a gentle smile, "And I'm fine, I promise."

Kyra looked at Kaori from her spot on the blanket to the other side of Akira, "You sure? Tatara said that Mikoto's been worried about you."

Kaori looked at the two before sitting back in her seat with a small frown, "You promise not to say anything to anyone? I haven't even told Mikoto yet, but I have a feeling he already knows."

"You're sick, aren't you?" Akira bit her bottom lip.

Kaori nodded slowly, "It's more of a burden than just a sickness," She looked over to the HOMRA members enjoying a very intense game of volleyball now that Mikoto was there to fight against, "My doctor seems to think it's hemophilia."

Meira, who had joined the conversation and was sitting at the foot of Kaori's chair, frowned deeply at that, "I thought you were tested negative?"

"They weren't sure so they decided to dig deeper and had me do the major tests," Kaori looked at her, "He said it's either hemophilia or even worse, lymphoma. I go to the specialist in four more days to find out what it is I'm dealing with, and after I know, that's when I will tell Mikoto. Or at least, that's the way I have it planned in my head."

Kyra bit her bottom lip to keep from tearing up, "Oh, Kaori..."

"Mikoto wants a child and believe me when I say that I do as well," She suddenly revealed, her eyes trained on a smiling Mikoto as he and Yata scored a goal on the others, "But it's been me who keeps putting it off because of the fact that I don't know whether it's cancer that I have or just a blood condition."

Akira frowned and nodded slowly, "I'm sorry, Kaori... Really."

"It's okay," She looked at the three girls, her gaze lingering on each of their faces before she sighed deeply and pressed her back further into the chair while watching the game, "I'm worried that if I tell Mikoto, he'll treat me like a piece of glass and slack even more on his duties as a King."

Despite the mood, Kyra snorted at her comment, "Yeah, and you'd also have all of the others watching you as if you were going to break apart."

"Which is something I don't want," She sighed and closed her eyes, "I want to continue going on as if nothing's changed, even now that you three know."

"What about Reina?" Meira looked at Kaori.

Kaori opened her eyes to look at her, "I don't want to tell her just yet, or Anna for that matter despite the fact she's probably already gotten an idea as to what's going on. As for Reina, I don't want her to get upset and make Yata worry."

Akira nodded, "If he knew she was worried about something, he'd get it out of her eventually."

"I love her to pieces, just like I love the three of you," Kaori looked at Akira, "But with Reina joining Yata on the front lines now and becoming a member that goes on patrols, I wouldn't want her to become distracted."

Kyra sighed and looked over at the young woman in question, "When will you tell her?"

"When I find out what it is that I have and speak with Mikoto first," Kaori hugged her waist, "After I've had my talk with him, I will tell all of the Red Clan as a family."

"Will Mikoto be upset that you told us first?" Akira looked over towards the group and felt a smile tug at her lips when Kusanagi and Mikoto reached up and gave each other a high-five after successfully annihilating Tatara's team, "I hope he won't be too hard on you."

Kaori shook her head, "He'll understand once I tell him why I kept it a secret until now. I'm worried he'll blame himself for pushing me on certain things and beat himself up for it when there's nothing he could have done to help me."

Kyra and Akira both nodded, "You said you go in four days, right? Would you like one of us to come with you for support?"

"No," Kaori looked at each of them with a serene smile, "I don't want any pressure on any of you, so I'll be alright."

Kyra shook her head and glared, "I'm going with you, and just you _try_ and stop me!"

"Kyra," Kaori sighed slightly but didn't make an attempt to argue, "We'll see."

Time passed by as the girls watched another intense game ensue, smiling and cheering when their boys would deliver a winning strike. Of course, those who were on Mikoto's team became boastful due to the fact Mikoto wouldn't use his normal handicap and make things even. Yata even went as far as to taunt Kusanagi, who in turn cracked his knuckles and declared to the young vanguard that he'd best watch himself. Off to the side, keeping score was Tatara, who had offered to stand back and watch after receiving a very powerful blow to the stomach after Mikoto had launched the ball over the net with brute force. Perched on top of his shoulders was a smiling Anna, who watched her King in awe whenever he would make a move.

"Come on, guys!" Chitose smirked as he and Yata stood together with their hands on their hips, "This isn't even a challenge!"

Bando glared from behind his glasses, "You've got the King with you, so I call that completely unfair!"

"And just what am I? Chopped liver?" Kusanagi cast Bando a contempt look, "If we strategize then we may stand a chance."

Akagi nodded and rushed over to the elder man, "Alright! Let's make Kusanagi our team captain!"

Dewa nodded in agreement while watching the others on the other side of the net, "We're at an unfair advantage because they have Reina!"

"It's because Yata needs her in order to execute his moves," Kamamoto suddenly grinned and crossed his arms, "He's useless without his woman."

Yata snarled, "What the hell did you just say to me, fatty?!"

"Oh, he's mad now!" Akagi grinned.

"We're doomed," Bando inhaled deeply before sighing, "You know better than to provoke him!"

Kamamoto and Akagi both shared a good laugh while Yata fumed angrily on the other side, even with Reina patting his shoulder telling he was going to live.

Meanwhile, Mikoto spared a glance over to the girls relaxing under the umbrellas and noticed a change in Kaori's aura. His brows furrowed slightly as he watched her converse with the girls, but the smile that she wore never reached her ears like it normally did.

"Something on your mind?" Tatara brought him back to reality as the Red King turned to see his vassal approaching him, "You seem distracted."

"It's Kaori," He looked over at his fiance once more and pocketed his hands, "Do you find something is... Off about her?"

Tatara nodded, "I'm sure everything is fine," He reached up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You worry too much, King."

"Normally I'd agree with you on that one, but not this time," He sighed, "I'll talk to her later on once everyone has settled down for the bonfire."

Tatara looked over and noticed the worried expression cross Kyra's face every now and then, "Maybe you're right?"

"Let's keep this between us for now," Mikoto looked at Tatara, who nodded in agreement before returning to his spot at the side of the net.

Kusanagi looked at Mikoto and gave him a questioning arch of the brow, but Mikoto waved him off with a lazy smirk.

\- x -

Having decided that he wanted to be with his lover, Mikoto made his way over to where Kaori was still sitting on the chair he'd placed her on and hovered over her, "Want to go in the water?"

She had been watching everyone splashing around having a great deal of fun, enjoying the sight of all their smiling faces. Kyra had gone off to go join Tatara and was playing in a shallower spot with Anna while Yata and Reina went off to go and surf.

Even Eric and his lover, Kian, were enjoying themselves. They had arrived shortly after the final game between the boys, walking over to them so Kian could be introduced to everyone. She was mildly surprised that when she shook Mikoto's hand, that it became surrounded in flames but did not burn her. Kaori smiled happily once the flames subsided and she looked down on her left collar bone to see her welcoming gift into the family, her own excited smile on her face.

"Sure," Kaori looked up at him and immediately felt her stomach knot, "What?"

Mikoto had been successful in clearing the worried expression from his face but his eyes were a different story, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No, everything is fine," She internally battled with herself as she placed a smile on her face.

Mikoto sighed and ran a hand over his hair before reaching down to move her legs so he could sit in that spot, "In the eight years we've been together, have you ever been able to hide anything from me?"

"Mikoto..." Kaori frowned slightly, "Not here."

"So there is something," His amber eyes bore into her chocolate brown ones, "I take it that's what you were speaking to those three about?"

She knew he was referring to Akira, Kyra, and Meira, "Yes."

"Want to tell me?" He reached up and stroked her cheek gently, "If it's something important, I should be privy to that information considering we're only a few weeks away from getting married."

Kaori leaned into his touch and reached up to cup both of her hands over the one on her cheek, "I don't think this is the best place to have this conversation."

"No one is here to listen," He argued, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Please, not here, Mikoto," She still insisted, looking at him with a sad expression.

He sat there silently and studied her for a moment before releasing a sigh, "Alright, but tonight I want to know what's going on."

"Okay," She gave his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "I promise I'll tell you everything."

She wanted to reassure him that nothing was wrong and find some way to deviate from her possible condition, already thinking of ways to switch the subject. However, she knew deep down that she would have to tell him now that he had caught on that something was off. She was afraid it would have come down to this before her appointment, and truthfully, she didn't have it in her to lie to him. Even if she knew that revealing everything to him could possibly crush him, she had to tell him.

"Let's get you into the sun for a while," His lips tugged into a small smile as he stood up, leaning over to slip an arm under Kaori's knees and behind her middle back before lifting her easily into the air.

Kaori giggled and wrapped an arm around his neck loosely, "I think I'm capable of walking now that I've been off my ankle for the better part of the day."

"I'd rather hold you," He looked down at her as he walked towards the water.

Kaori felt her cheeks heat up and her heart flutter, "You always say the sweetest things, Mikoto."

"I try," He chuckled before leaning down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss.

Only when Mikoto was knee deep in the water did he let Kaori down, his arm still wrapped around her waist for support. She smiled and sighed softly, enjoying the cool feeling that soothed her still sore ankle.

"You know," She looked back at him, "We should have our wedding here at the beach."

"If you'd like that we can," Mikoto looked down at her, "As long as we get those vows over and say _I do_ , that's all that matters."

Kaori grinned and reached up to poke his nose, "What's gotten into you that's turned you all sappy, Mikoto?"

"I'm trying to keep my mind occupied until tonight," He answered honestly, "But let's not talk about that right now."

Meanwhile, Kyra and Tatara watched with smiles plastered on their faces even though she had just finished telling her all-knowing lover what he already knew. It was always a very refreshing sight to see a man like Mikoto so openly affectionate with his fiance, knowing that it must have been difficult in his younger years due to his pride.

"I hope it's not cancer," Kyra sighed, running her fingers through her hair, "Mikoto will be devastated."

Tatara looked at Kyra and smiled down at her, "I know she'll be fine. I just a have a good gut feeling about it, you know?"

"I hope you're right," She returned his smile before going back over to Anna to play with her.

\- x -

"So since this is our first year together as a whole family, would anyone like to say anything?" Tatara looked around at all of the new couples and the grinning faces of his brothers.

Reina grinned, "I think that role belongs to our King or Queen."

"You guys have at it," Mikoto was quick to answer, leaning back so he could take a hefty gulp of his beer.

Kaori nodded in agreement and winked, "Why don't you start it off, Reina?"

"Fineeeee~" She exhaled dramatically, "But what do I say?"

"Let Yata do it!"

"Yeah!"

Yata felt his cheeks heat up when all eyes were on him, "Why me?!"

"Because," Kusanagi grinned at him, "You always have something brilliant to say."

Akira lightly smacked Kusanagi's shoulder for his blatant sarcasm, "Izumo, be nice."

"I am being nice," He looked at her innocently.

"Fine," Yata puffed his chest out, "I'll say something!"

Kamamoto sat with Meira wrapped in his arms off to the side where Tatara and Kyra were sharing one of the bigger folding chairs, with her being situated in between his legs and leaning on his chest. Reina and Yata had occupied the blanket they had been on upon everyone's arrival, while Kusanagi and Akira sat together on two smaller folding chairs.

Akagi and Bando were on the other side of the fire sitting beside Eric, who had Kian by his side with Fujishima opposite to him. Dewa and Chitose sat off to the side in between Kusanagi and where Tatara was.

Mikoto, who had taken the other large folding chair with the extended length, held Kaori close to his chest as she lay her head on his shoulder simply enjoying the closeness. He also had Anna on his lap as Kaori held her in her arms, but he didn't seem to mind.

"It's been a year since we've gathered here," Yata began, "And look at what we've gained? We've got four new beautiful ladies that have joined our family and a baby on the way, so I'd say a lot of good has happened for the first time in a long time! Not to mention Mikoto is finally getting married to mum!"

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered in agreement to his words, each holding their respective drinks in the air to initiate a toast, "To HOMRA!"

" ** _To HOMRA!_** "

Kaori smiled as she played with Anna's hair, running her fingers through the soft tresses. Off to the side, Kyra was watching Kaori in a way that wouldn't draw attention and noticed the way that Mikoto would glance down at her.

"So," Kamamoto's voice cut into her concentration, "Meira said we might be coming back for another visit?"

Kaori nodded and smiled, "Mikoto and I are thinking of getting married here on the beach," Her eyes landed on Kusanagi as she smirked, "That way there's absolutely no way that anyone could damage your precious baby."

"How thoughtful of you," Kusanagi grinned back at her and winked, "You've always known the way to my heart, Kaori."

She giggled, "I'd be a poor excuse for a best friend if I didn't, considering how long we've known each other and how involved you've been in Mikoto's and my life," She suddenly grinned, "Plus, you're like the grandfather of the clan so I have to keep in your good graces and all."

Kusanagi smirked at her while all the others stifled their laughter, " _Grandfather_ , eh? I suppose I'll accept that backhanded compliment."

The Red Clan remained by the fire in happy company well into the later hours of the night until it was decided to pack up and head back home. The boys made short work of putting the chairs and umbrellas back into the van, promising Kusanagi that they would put them away tomorrow if they could remain in the van overnight. After finally agreeing, they seemed to pack the vehicle much faster and soon the beach was empty and looked as though it had never been inhabited.

"We'll see you all tomorrow!" Kyra and Tatara waved before walking away hand-in-hand, deciding to head to her apartment for the evening since it was closer.

Kian and Eric also waved with a smile, "We'll be by the bar tomorrow around lunch, so we'll see you then!"

Fujishima smirked, "Don't forget to use protection!"

"Shut up!" Eric gave his partner a halfhearted glare before turning and walking away with a giggling Kian.

As for the others, Kusanagi watched while everyone else finished loading the van before waving and disappearing to go off on their own. Chitose and Dewa were headed to the usual pub that Chitose always occupied in the late nights, while Bando and Akagi hopped into the back of the vehicle.

Kamamoto and Meira stayed long enough until everything was packed away safe and sound before waving them off and saying they would be by in the morning.

Kusanagi turned and looked at Mikoto and Kaori, with them being the only ones left out of the group that still hadn't made an effort to leave yet.

"Do you guys want a drive to her apartment?" Kusanagi questioned, accepting a sleeping Anna from Kaori's arms and holding her to his chest.

She shook her head and smiled, "Mikoto insisted that we make the walk, even though I won't be doing much walking," Mikoto gave an affirmative grunt from behind her, "We'll be by sometime tomorrow."

"Alright," He smiled, "Have a good night, you two."

They watched as Kusanagi handed Akira Anna before shutting her door and heading to the driver's side, waiting as they pulled away.

"Now then," Mikoto maneuvered Kaori so that he was knelt in front of her, "Hop on and let's head to bed."

Kaori placed her hands on his shoulders before hopping up onto his back, as he quickly caught the undersides of her knees and waited until she was fully adjusted before walking off. She moved so she had her arms in a relaxed grip around his neck and allowed her feet to swing slightly with the motion of his strides.

"Can you dig out a cigarette for me?" Mikoto looked back at Kaori as she nodded and used one hand to pluck the carton from the pocket of his leather jacket, "Thanks."

She pulled out one of the white sticks before placing the carton back in her pocket, "You're welcome, love," Reaching forward to offer it to him, she watched with a smile as he took the tip in his mouth, "Need a light?"

He grunted his response and quickly, she flicked her fingers to produce a spark and lit the front of his addiction. It didn't take long for him to make quick work of his nicotine fix, knowing that alone was a sign of what was about to happen.

Once he was finished, he spit the finished bud onto the sidewalk as it burst into flames before looking forward, "Anna knows," He felt her tense against his back, "So, now that almost all of the girls know, care to tell me what's going on?"

"I need you to promise me something first," Kaori slowly began, "I need you to promise me that you'll continue to treat me the way you do and not like something breakable when I tell you."

Mikoto gave a slow nod, "Fine, but you know that it all depends on what's going on."

"I know," She sighed before laying her head against the back of his own, "I go to see a specialist in four days to find out if I have a blood condition or if it's lymphoma."

Mikoto stopped dead in his tracks and did the best he could to look back at her, "What?"

Kaori bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I couldn't have this talk with you until it was narrowed down and to this point. Mikoto, I didn't want to keep this from you but I couldn't tell you when it was all up in the air. Least of all after you seemed so genuinely happy that we were engaged and going to start a family."

With the serious tone in her voice, Mikoto took everything she said in and slowly moved forward again. He remained silent up until the point where they arrived at her building. Only when they were inside her apartment and readied for bed, did Mikoto finally respond.

"Is that why you keep avoiding the subject of having kids?" His brows furrowed as if he'd finally come to a realization, "And here I was letting paranoia of you not wanting to start a family with me sink in, considering every time the topic comes up you seemed to shift the attention elsewhere."

"Mikoto..." Kaori looked down at her crimson duvet, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize," He heaved in a heavy breath and turned to look at her, "Just next time, I'd rather you come straight to me and be forward about it all," Her teary eyes met his own as he took her hand in his, "Also, I'll be joining you when you go to your appointment, so don't even think about arguing with me."

Kaori frowned, "I had a feeling you were going to say that," Deciding it was better to just allow him to come along, she leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her to bring her in close and tight, "I love you, Mikoto."

"And I love you," He whispered, pressing his lips against the top of her head, "In sickness and in health."

She couldn't help the small grin that appeared on her face, "You're really excited for this, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He chuckled and shifted so he could lay her down and prop himself up on one of his elbows beside her, "I'm going to be married to the love of my life- _my Queen-_ and that's more than enough reason to be excited."

Kaori smiled up at him, "I suppose..." He watched a teasing look crawl onto her features, "Then again, you've got so many years invested now that it would be like a jolt to your pride to walk away from this far in the game."

"You know me too well," He teasingly smirked down at her, "But hey, what does that say about you too?"

With a grin, Kaori reached up to pat his cheek gently, "Touche."

\- x - **  
**

Kaori watched the clock ticking as she and Mikoto waited patiently for her specialist to walk into the room, each with their own bated breaths and bundle of nerves. Mikoto noticed that her knee was jumping rapidly as she sat there unable to sit still. Not that he could blame her, as he himself was growing anxious and couldn't find a comfortable position to sit against the plush chair.

Both of their attention was drawn to the door when a knock was heard before the door opened, revealing a smiling elder man who held her file and a pad of paper in his hands.

"Well, I've got some good news for you, Miss Watari," Her specialist, Dr. Utsui announced as he walked into the office where she and Mikoto were anxiously waiting, "Oh? This must be the husband you spoke of?"

"Fiance," She corrected with a smile, "So," Her smile slowly began to fade, "What's the result of my blood work and other tests?"

Dr. Utsui looked from Kaori to the fiery-haired man beside her and noticed the way he held her hand in a reassuring manner, feeling somewhat endeared by the two, "Well, it's definitely not cancer."

"Oh, my Kami..." Kaori gave a huge sigh of relief as she wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes away.

Mikoto kissed the side of her head gently and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "We'll have to thank Tatara and the girls for all of the good vibes."

"Yes!" She gave a half giggle, half sob as a reply.

Dr. Utsui watched the two with a smile, "Despite the fact it isn't cancer, I still wanted to call you in to tell you that it is in fact, hemophilia A, which is extremely relieving to see. It is treatable either through occasional intravenous sessions or I can prescribe to you a nasal spray that stimulates blood clotting."

"What is the success rate of the nasal spray?" Kaori asked sheepishly, trying to hide the fact she had a fear of needles.

He smiled, "Many patients have had a good experience with it, and seeing as how your hemophilia is not at a dangerous level I'm positive that this will be a successful route to take."

"I'll give it a try," She watched as he took out a pad of paper and scribbled down what she needed, "Dr. Utsui... Is this hereditary?"

"Unfortunately, yes," He looked at the two, "Are you planning on having a baby?" When they both nodded, he smiled, "It's a very rare disorder, so there is a possibility that with your fiance's genetics that your child may not inherit the extra gene that would give it the disorder. Like I said before, you're not at a dangerous level. In fact, you're in a very small, low-risk category so I wouldn't see it as a problem or be it a reason to avoid having children."

Kaori could practically feel Mikoto relax from beside her and smiled, "Thank you for this, really," She and Mikoto stood up as Dr. Utsui approached them with the paper that had her prescription jotted down on it and a small package, "What's that?"

"A gift," He smiled and watched as she opened it to reveal a very beautiful medical alert bracelet, "I always give a custom made one to every one of my patients in positive situations like this. Think of it as a sign of good luck."

Kaori smiled softly as she accepted the gift, "Thank you."

After booking her follow-up appointment and saying their goodbyes to the secretary, Mikoto walked Kaori down the sidewalk that led to the pharmacy all of HOMRA used when they needed anything. They waited until her prescription was finished and left to head to the bar shortly after.

"What a relief," She sighed deeply and gripped his hand tightly, "I think I'll actually be able to sleep tonight."

Mikoto nodded, "You and me both," He glanced down at her, "Are you going to tell everyone or just those who need to know?"

"I'll tell everyone so they know to be a little more cautious, but just because I'm telling your boys doesn't mean I get to be handled like glass," She shot him a look, "That goes for you, too!"

Mikoto shrugged and looked away from her with, "Never said that I would."

"Bullshit."

His lips tugged into a smirk, "Cut me some slack, Kaori."

"Nah," She smiled up at him, "I'd rather not."

\- x -

Upon arrival, Kusanagi looked over and smiled as Kaori walked into the bar followed closely by Mikoto, "Ah, we were just wondering where you two had wandered off to."

"I had an appointment, actually," She smiled, "Which is something I want to tell you all about."

"Oh?" Kusanagi's brow rose as his eyes flickered from hers to Mikoto's briefly, "Is everything okay?"

Kyra, who had heard them enter the building, rushed out of the kitchen and ran up to Kaori, "How did it go?!"

"I'm going to tell you all, don't worry," She giggled, "It's the best news I've ever gotten."

Kyra gave her a brilliant smile as she turned on her heel to go back to the kitchen, opening the door to call Yata, Reina, and Tatara out to the main part of the bar.

Slowly but surely, each and every member filed into the room and took a seat wherever there was a spot while Kaori waited patiently from her seat on one of the red plush stools. Mikoto sat beside her and sipped at the tea Kusanagi prepared for him, waiting for everyone to settle down before he knew all hell would break loose.

"So," Kaori looked at each and every one of the boys and then to the girls before taking a deep breath, "As I'm sure you've all noticed, I've been a little under the weather lately. Whether it's falling over and bruising so easily, to getting a small cut that bleeds for hours," She paused and offered them all a reassuring smile, "I got my results in today after having been tested for several disorders and cancer."

Both Yata and Reina gasped loudly, "Are you alright?!"

"I am," Kaori giggled, "It's not exactly something to be happy about, but I'll have to be a little more careful now. I've got hemophilia type A, which isn't all that dangerous if I take my prescription regularly and avoid unnecessary scuffles."

Mikoto looked at everyone, "She also doesn't want to be treated like a doll, so to avoid getting your ass beat by her, I'd continue on as if she hadn't said a word."

"That's right," Kaori grinned so that she could lighten the mood, "If any of you start treating me like I'm breakable, I'll reign down on your ass with all of Hell's fury so fast you won't even know what hit you."

Kyra and Tatara laughed while Akira grinned, "We wouldn't see it any other way, Kaori."

Reina hopped up from her seat and ran to Kaori with her arms wide open, flinging them around her neck, "I'm so happy it's nothing too serious!"

"Me too," Kaori giggled and hugged her back, only to grunt as Yata came flying out of nowhere to wrap her in a tight hug as well, "Aw, I love you guys!"

Kamamoto and Meira smiled happily and clapped at the scene while Kyra waited for the two younger ones to finally pull away so she could embrace Kaori herself. The other boys were happily laughing and grinning at the good news while Kusanagi prepared a special drink for their soon-to-be Red Queen to celebrate.

Tatara walked up to Mikoto and wrapped an around his shoulders, "See? Didn't I say things would all work out?"

"You did," He looked at Tatara with a real, raw and sincere look in his eyes, "Thank you."

The light brunette smiled back, "Anytime, King."

"Alright!" Chitose smirked, "I say we celebrate!"

"Yeah!" Akagi agreed happily.

Eric, who had just walked in through the door with Kian on his tail, looked around at everyone with confusion, "What's going on?"

"Mum's okay!" Reina yelled happily, "She's sick but not sick at the same time, so she's okay!"

Kian smiled, "So your results came back good?"

"Did everyone know except me?" Mikoto eyed Kaori suspiciously, only to hear an uneasy chuckle from beside him, "Oh, I should have known."

Tatara grinned sheepishly, "I couldn't help it! Anna asked about her the other day in front of some of the guys, so Kyra and I kind of explained the situation."

Kaori looked down at said girl in question, who stared up at her with big eyes. Hopping off her stool so she could reach down, Kaori picked Anna up and hugged her tightly.

"I'm happy you're okay," Anna smiled.

"Me too," Kaori grinned and kissed her cheek gently, "No need to worry anymore."

Kyra walked up beside her and grinned, "So, with all of this good news going around, does this mean you're able to have lots of babies now?"

"I am," Kaori gave her a sly grin, "Only if Mikoto really wants one, though~"

Mikoto gave a half-hearted glare, "Don't even get me started on that."

There was a joyful bout of laughter shared between all of the members at their King's comment, and soon they all settled in to enjoy a round of drinks that Kusanagi had prepared. With smiles on their faces, each and every member of HOMRA, new and old, basked in the happiness of knowing their Queen was safe and that things were once again the way they should be forever.


	25. CH XXV - Scepter 4 (II) - Scepter 4's Day Off & Fushimi's Unexpected Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all! Quite a few major plot edits to this chapter from the original, but for the most part, it was just to make things more consistent with the overall plot that encompasses the entire three-part series itself. Enjoy! :)

"Have you finished your reports, Miss Totchikawa?" Reisi Munakata asked upon her entry, his eyes glancing in her direction for a moment before he returned to his current puzzle.

She walked towards his desk and stopped just a few feet away, "Yes, sir," Stepping forward only to lay her papers on his desk opposite to his puzzle before stepping back, "Will that be all for today, sir?"

"Hmm?" He looked up at her and offered a calm smile, "You seem to be outdoing yourself, Miss Totchikawa. When was the last time you have taken a day off?"

"Miss Awashima and I are both taking today off," She answered with a small smile, "She told me that it is the only time that all of the commanding officers, as well as yourself, leave the work to the others under the second special unit."

Munakata nodded as he brought his hands underneath his chin and linked his fingers together so he could relax, "That is very true," He saw her visibly relax, "May I ask what you and miss Awashima will be doing today?"

"She's asked me to help her run some errands, but that's as much as I know," Hana answered honestly.

"I see," He smiled, "Well then, I won't keep you."

Hana bowed politely before excusing herself, leaving Munakata to glance over at the papers she'd left behind. He made quick work of reading them over before exiting his office to head to his quarters. When he got there, an affectionate smile spread on his face at the sight of a sleeping Eri curled up in his royal blue comforter with her own content smile displayed on her face. He had been rather pleased when he finally managed to convince her to join him for the evening, and now all he really wanted to do was enjoy a peaceful morning in bed with her before taking her out for the day.

\- x -

Meanwhile, Hana made it back to the woman's dorms to meet up with Awashima.

"Ready to go?" Awashima looked over to Hana with a smile as she entered the dorm's bathroom, "Oh, sorry. You must have just finished your work?"

Hana nodded and set down the change of clothing she had been carrying in her arms on one of the benches, "Yeah, I just passed in my reports to the captain, so I'll just take a quick shower and be ready to go in ten minutes."

"I'll wait," Awashima turned back to the mirror and readied her toothbrush.

Hana gave her a nod and a smile, reaching up to tie her hair up into a messy bun as she walked off to one of the stalls and quickly washed. Once she was finished she dried off and dressed in more casual clothing much like her companion had before brushing her teeth and letting her hair back down.

"Alright, let's go!" She grinned at the older woman, who smiled and walked out with her.

\- x -

"Well, Andy's already gone off to go be with Saki, so that leaves the rest of us," Benzai thought aloud while the rest of the Special Unit gathered in the male bathrooms, "Do you guys have any plans for today?"

"Not really," Akiyama answered as he finished towel drying his hair, "Do you have something in mind?"

Hidaka and Kamo both looked at the two, "We could always go grab Enomoto, Goto, and Fuse and do the usual?"

"That's what I was actually thinking," Benzai admitted with a chuckle, "Himori?"

Akiyama felt their eyes on him and looked over, "What?"

"Since your _lady friend_ is with the lieutenant today, you're going to stick with us, right?" Hidaka smirked.

Akiyama's eyes narrowed slightly but he shrugged it off, "Of course."

"I think you hit a nerve," Kamo chuckled, clearly amused by Akiyama's reaction.

"You didn't think we wouldn't know that you and miss Totchikawa were dating, now did you? You two couldn't be more obvious!" Hidaka chuckled loudly as he slung his arm over Akiyama's shoulders, "So tell me, is she really as terrifying and cold as she is here at work when she's out of uniform?"

Akiyama frowned, "No, actually she's rather nice."

"Is she now?" Hidaka was grinning from ear to ear, and from the side, both Benzai and Kamo were watching the two curious looks themselves, "Wanna tell us all about it?"

\- x -

"Are you sure the boys aren't going to be upset that you decided to bail on them to spend the day with me?" Saki smiled up at Andy, who was walking beside her with his fingers tangled in hers.

He chuckled and smiled brightly, "Nah, they'll live!"

"Good," She grinned, "What did you have in mind today?"

"We're going to go run those errands for your mother and then we'll go to the movies after a nice supper," Andy explained, "I figured it's been three weeks since we've gone out for a real date, so I'm wining and dining you tonight!"

Saki looked up at him with bright eyes, "I knew there was a reason I loved you so much!"

"I know," He grinned and puffed his chest out to begin his boast, "I'm a very rare specimen, with all of my already thought out plans for the two of us and all~"

Saki rolled her eyes with a smile, "Yeah, yeah! You best stop talking before your head explodes~"

Andy feigned hurt, "Oh, the agony!"

The two shared a laugh before they made their way around town for running her mother's errands.

\- x -

Fushimi walked out of the front doors of the Scepter 4 building and made his way to the front gates where a familiar face waited for him. He had called Keirsten earlier when he finished showering and changing into casual clothing and asked her to meet him at the front. When his eyes landed on her, a small smile tugged at his lips.

"You managed to escape long enough to come with me today?" Keirsten giggled as she watched him walk out of the gate, "I'm honored."

Fushimi grunted and reached for her hand without a word, "Where is it you wanted me to go with you today?"

"I wanted to introduce you to all of my closest friends," She grinned, lacing their fingers together so she could stop him from changing his mind, "Hey, you promised!"

His deep cerulean eyes landed on her and a scowl made its way onto his face, "Do I have to?"

"You do," Keirsten smiled, "Don't worry, they won't bombard you with questions or try to make you give them hugs. They're a lot tamer than that, although Reina sometimes goes over the top."

Fushimi allowed Keirsten to lead him down the sidewalk with his free hand shoved into his pants pocket in a relaxed posture. Despite the fact she was leading him somewhere he had no knowledge of, he followed her either way and watched her from the corner of his eye. He enjoyed watching the way her long hair would dance as they walked or how the smile on her face seemed to light up her features.

He felt a sense of pride whenever someone would pass them and mutter at how lucky he was to have someone so beautiful with him, only making the feeling of him wanting to keep her hidden away from the world and with him and him alone even stronger.

"So," He tilted his head to the side to release the kink that formed in his neck before looking down at her, "Are you going to tell me about your friends before we arrive?"

Keirsten looked at him before facing forward with a pondering expression on her face, "Well, the oldest of the girls is Akira, and she's more reserved than the rest of them. Kyra and Meira are both really friendly, and Reina will be the one to get in your face if anything," She paused, not noticing Fushimi's brows furrowed at the mention of Meira's name, "There's also Kaori, who is like the mother of the group and super accepting, so I think you'll like her."

"Kaori, who?" She looked up at him with her brows furrowed at the deep tone of his voice.

Keirsten blinked, "Kaori Watari."

"I can't go with you," He suddenly said and pulled her to a stop, "If we're going to where Kaori is, I can't go with you."

"Oh?" Keirsten looked up at him, "How do you know her?"

Fushimi muttered something under his breath before running his free hand through his messy dark tresses, "I used to be a part of the Red Clan. She's with their King, Mikoto Suoh. If I step foot in that bar, it won't be good."

"Why?" She frowned, "What happened?"

Fushimi looked away from her to avoid answering the question, only to notice that they were one block away from HOMRA's bar. He could clearly see the sign above the door and the dark red brick lining the outer exterior.

"Saruhiko?" She gripped his hand a little more and pulled his attention back to her, "Did you leave with hard feelings?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, "I didn't betray them if that's what you're insinuating."

"Well then, what's the problem?" Keirsten narrowed her eyes back at him, not feeling the least bit threatened by his sudden change in attitude, "We're going in and you're going to behave while you meet my friends. If something happens, I'll ask Kaori to make sure the boys don't get aggressive."

Fushimi was about to retort but was cut off as she tugged him forward towards the doors, "Keirsten, I really don't want to do this–"

"You're going to whether you want to or not," Keirsten's voice was stern, "Besides, whenever we talk about your old friend, you get into this depressive mood for days. Can you even sit down and have a real conversation with him?"

Fushimi narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing, even as they walked up the steps for her to open the door.

Keirsten could feel him tense significantly against her and felt as though she was pulling a solid wall along with her. On the inside of the bar, she noticed only four faces were present. Kusanagi, who was always found standing behind the bar, looked over at her with a smile until his eyes landed on Fushimi. Meira and Reina, who were sitting in a booth off to the side, looked over and smiled brightly at the sight of their friend and her lover.

"Is this him?" Meira jumped up and rushed over, "Hi there! I'm Meria!"

Fushimi ignored her and locked eyes with Kusanagi, his dark expression matching the bartenders from across the room.

"Saruhiko?" Keirsten looked back at him.

Fushimi's eyes averted back down at her, "What?" He looked from her to Meira and realized that she had been standing there to introduce herself, "Hi."

"He's not a talker, is he?" Meira observed.

Keirsten sighed, "He's not exactly thrilled about being here," She fully turned to face Meira and Reina after she had joined them, "Meira, Reina, this is Saruhiko Fushimi."

Kusanagi watched from the other side of the room and watched Fushimi intensely. He knew from the moment his eyes landed on his former clansman that he was extremely uncomfortable, even now as his shoulders tensed and his posture was rigid as she said his name to the girls.

"Fushimi... Wait, I remember you," Reina muttered at the sudden recognition before she pointed at him, "You're Yata's former partner!"

Fushimi narrowed his eyes at her, "And who exactly might you be?"

"Yata's girlfriend, that's who!" Reina glared up at him with both of her hands perched on her hips in a haughty manner, challenging him, "Also, let's not forget that time when you used me as a human shield to fight against Yata!"

Keirsten and Meira both watched the two as they stared each other down, "This wasn't how I hoping this meeting would go down..."

Meira offered Keirsten a small smile, "Well... Is he at least treating you good?"

"Yes, he does treat me very good," Keirsten replied with a sigh, "I was hoping that when he met all of you that things would go a lot more smoothly than how they're going right now."

"Saruhiko," Kusanagi's voice broke the tense air wafting around them as the man in question looked over to the bartender, "Come here and have a drink with me. The others aren't going to be here for a while, so I think it's time you and I have a well-deserved talk."

\- x -

"How are things with you and Himori?" Seri looked at Hana as they walked through a clothing store, having decided to go in and browse after being drawn in by the display in the window, "He seems to be rather fond of you."

Hana smiled and looked at her, "He's a great man. I'm actually a little surprised that he is the way he is outside of work, but it's always deceiving when you meet your boyfriend as a coworker."

"That's true," Seri nodded in agreement, "It makes me happy that I met my fiance years ago when I was off duty," She smiled fondly at the memory, "He was running to catch the bus and crashed right into me. He got his coffee everywhere and apologized so many times for getting it all over me."

Hana grinned, "Aw, so you two met due to his clumsiness? That's adorable."

Seri felt her cheeks heat up lightly, "Well, he isn't the sturdiest on his feet even now and he often hurts himself due to the fact that he's not that coordinated, but he has a heart of gold. I wouldn't trade him for the world."

"Aww~" Hana giggled, "It's so refreshing to see you so in love," Seri looked at her and smiled softly, "You're so... Frigid at work, and have such a burden placed on you as the captain's right-hand enforcer."

"Yes," Seri sighed, "Sometimes it's hard to upkeep that appearance, but as you yourself are aware, it is for the greater good to maintain the way things flow so smoothly between the Special Unit members."

Hana nodded in agreement, "I'm still shocked that captain Munakata put me right below you as third in command along with Fushimi. Although, I know the brat isn't too thrilled about that."

"Fushimi understands that your position matches his own but at different levels," Seri looked at the selection of t-shirts in front of her, "However, you know how Fushimi is. He's his own anomaly fitting into Scepter 4, and he won't admit it when he's feeling off. I feel as though sometimes he wishes to return to his former clan, but enjoys the authority that captain Munakata has given him."

"That's a pretty bold assumption, Seri," Hana commented, "But you're probably right."

"Enough about him, though," Seri eyed her with her icy blues, "Tell me how things are going with Himori, outside of work of course."

Hana smiled and enjoyed the feeling of her cheeks heating up, "We've gotten to know each other rather quickly, and he always seems to be full of surprises. The other night he surprised me with a date to this really amazing local restaurant that's owned by a close family friend."

"That's lovely," Seri smiled, "You seem to like him quite a bit."

"I do," Hana sighed softly, "He's my first boyfriend so I have no horror stories to compare to, but it was worth taking a chance."

Seri laughed softly at her words, giving her head a little shake at the love-struck look on her face.

\- x -

"Damn it!" Hidaka threw his cards onto the table and groaned loudly, "Again?! Why do I keep losing?

Benzai and Fuse laughed at the irritated individual while Enomoto retrieved all of the cards to shuffle them. Goto watched with an amused grin, thoroughly enjoying Hidaka's slow torture. Little did Hidaka know, it was all scaled out in order to get back at him for a comment he'd made in regards to the Special Unit members earlier that day.

Akiyama was enjoying Hidaka's losing streak for other reasons, smirking at his expense.

"We've played five games already and I've lost every damn one!" Hidaka frowned as he threw his tantrum, "What the hell! Even when I get set up to win, you always seem to block me!"

Goto chuckled, "Perhaps you're just having a day of bad luck?"

"Either that or this game is rigged," Hidaka muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It could be," Enomoto chuckled and grinned, "But I doubt that. We have no reason to plot against you."

Hidaka looked at him, "Only someone who feels guilty would say something like that."

After a moment of silence, the other members burst into laughter. It was then that Hidaka groaned in anger, knowing that his suspicions were true and that his team had been plotting against him from the start.

"I demand a rematch and for the score to be wiped clean!" Hidaka slammed a fist onto the table for emphasis.

Akiyama smirked and picked up his cards once Enomoto handed them all out, "What? Not confident in your ability to win on your own?"

"Oh," Hidaka looked right at Akiyama and smirked, "Just for that, _you're_ going down!"

\- x -

"I must thank you for agreeing to accompany me today," Munakata looked down at Eri as the two walked down another aisle in the book store, "I was almost unsure whether or not you were willing to leave the bedroom today, with you being so comfortably wrapped up in my blankets and all."

Eri smiled and hugged the books she'd picked out tighter to her chest, "Well, I couldn't exactly trust you by yourself, what with all of these old ladies looking at you with all of those puzzles piled in your arms."

Munakata chuckled, "Ah yes, the familiar faces of all the regulars who know me by name now. Have no fear, Eri, my eyes are only for you."

"How romantic of you to say," Eri rolled her eyes but the grin that split her face was more than happy.

As the two made their way towards the cash, a familiar head of red hair caught Munakata's attention and forced him to stop to inspect further. Sure enough, Munakata's eyes rested on the Red King who was standing beside a rather beautiful brunette and his female Red clansman, Anna Kushina. He immediately noticed they stared at a whole shelf of books suitable for infants and immediately wondered if he should extend a tactful congratulations.

"Ah, Suoh," Munakata turned to face him and addressed his rival with a friendly smile, "How nice to see you out and about."

He could see Mikoto's shoulders tensed for a split second before the man's amber eyes turned to look at his own cerulean ones. Munakata chuckled inwardly at the completely unenthusiastic look expressed on the Red King's face.

"Ah, Munakata," Mikoto ran a hand over his hair, "What a surprise to see you here."

The woman who had been standing beside Mikoto turned and looked at him curiously, "Munakata? Ah, so you must be the Blue King."

"I am," Munakata confirmed and smiled down at her, "Reisi Munakata," He shifted so the pile of puzzle boxes could be held by one hand and extended his other towards her (much to Mikoto's displeasure), "A pleasure to finally meet you."

Kaori accepted his hand and smiled back out of politeness, "Kaori Suoh, the pleasure's all mine." 

"Suoh?" Munakata mused, "So, that must mean-" 

Mikoto cut him off before he could finish his thought, "She's my wife."

"So the rumors are true, that you finally settled down and wed. My sincerest congratulations, Suoh," Munakata said to the couple. 

"Thanks," Mikoto nodded his head towards the Blue King before his eyes drifted to a shy blue-eyed girl standing behind Reisi, "Who might she be?"

Munakata looked back at Eri and smiled softly, "She's my lover, Eri Chiharu."

"Chiharu?" Amber eyes regarded her more closely, "I see. I heard one of the Chiharu's were still alive. Fancy that she'd end up with you."

Munakata took that as a compliment rather than the insult he knew it was supposed to be, "Why thank you," His eyes landed on a book held in Kaori's hands and remembered why he decided to approach them, "Shall I offer my congratulations for the pregnancy?"

Kaori blushed, "Oh, this isn't for me," She giggled and held it to her chest, "This is for Kyra, Tatara's lover. She's a month away from her due date and is getting rather anxious about everything, so Anna and I decided to surprise her with a few books."

"How very thoughtful of you," Munakata smiled.

"Does she know what she's having?" Eri asked, finally walking around Munakata to join the conversation with a new breath of courage even though she was slightly intimidated by being so close to the infamous Red King.

Kaori looked at her and giggled, "No, she didn't want to know and made the nurses promise when she'd gone in for her ultrasound that they wouldn't reveal the gender to her. She even used her gifted powers to block our little Anna's ability so it would be a complete surprise to everyone when her baby is born."

Anna looked up at Eri and studied her for a moment, feeling herself somewhat entranced by the many aura's swimming around inside of her despite the blue one that circled around her so fully. Eri noticed this and offered the young strain a friendly smile, unaware of the little ones ability to see her auras.

"Now that you two are married, will you also be considering the idea of starting a family?" Munakata asked with an almost amused tone.

Mikoto grunted and looked away but Kaori smiled up at the Blue King, "Definitely, but not right now. We're going to wait to make that decision once the excitement from Kyra's little one settles down, although I'm sure seeing a little bundle of join crawling around will just make my motherly instincts go on overdrive."

Munakata nodded and watched as Mikoto looked down at Kaori with a warm, loving expression in his eyes at her words. He was quite surprised at his lack of words for what he was witnessing, as it was such a unique experience to see the man whose clan usually instigated his ventures out of the office be so openly expressive with his lover. Despite their hardships, Munakata felt endeared by the sight and couldn't help but feel happy for the man he saw as a friend and a rival.

"Well, give my warmest wishes for a safe birth," Munakata smiled at the two before looking down at Eri, "Shall we go?"

Eri looked at him and nodded before turning to Kaori, "It was a pleasure to meet you!"

"You as well," Kaori smiled at her and waved before looking up to Mikoto, "That wasn't so bad, so why the long face?"

Mikoto watched as the Blue King and his lover walked away, noticing the similar look on Munakata's face to his own when he looked down at Kaori that made him feel a sliver of happiness for the man, "It's nothing. Let's just finish shopping and head back to the bar."

\- x -

 

"You know Saruhiko when you'd decided to accept Munakata's proposal, you could have mentioned it to me considering I was there the day he offered a position to you. Not to mention the burden you'd placed on Kaori's shoulders when you told her," Kusanagi cleaned the glass he held in his hands while Fushimi sat with his elbow leaning on the bar, his drink now room temperature with moisture lining the glass due to the fact the ice cubes had melted fully, "Besides, you should know me well enough that I wouldn't have judged you if you'd of sat down and talked to me, too."

Fushimi's eyes trailed from Keirsten, who was sitting at the booth sipping her own drink with Meira and Reina talking fluidly about whatever their topic was, "I couldn't talk to any of you because you wouldn't have understood my reasons for leaving. Kaori was the only one I knew I could trust."

"Assuming what someone has to say is a bad habit, Saruhiko," Kusanagi set the newly polished glass down before picking up another, "So tell me, did you leave because of Yata or was it the offer that the Blue King made that day we went to visit him?"

At the mention of his former best friend's name, Fushimi clicked his tongue in annoyance, "What would it matter if he was a reason or not?"

"I figured as much," The bartender couldn't help but grin, "I've had a long time to think about why you did what you did, Saruhiko. As you can imagine, it hit us all pretty hard but I didn't think you would go about joining the Blue's so suddenly."

Fushimi eyed him, "I knew what I was losing when I left for Scepter 4, Izumo."

"I had high hopes for you," Kusanagi finally released the sigh he'd been holding back, "But, clearly you're where you need to be."

Instead of replying to his comment, Fushimi's eyes averted back to the dark-haired, hazel-eyed woman he was dating. She smiled and giggled as the two talked with her so happy.

"Why don't you and Yata apologize to one another and at least clear some bridges that you burnt so your lovely lady can be a part of her friends' lives?" Kusanagi eyed Fushimi closely, interested in how the younger male would react now that Keirsten was a part of their conversation.

Fushimi took a moment to think over an appropriate response before he finally replied, "I won't stop her from coming here to visit."

"I think she'd prefer bringing you with her," Kusanagi pressed.

"I'm not apologizing to Misaki," Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "Not in this lifetime."

The bartender shook his head and inhaled deeply, "You two are really something, you know."

"So I've been told," Fushimi muttered to himself.

The two sat in silence and listened to happy chatter coming from the girls when the bell rang to signal someone was opening the door. Much to Fushimi's utter dismay, the first person to enter the bar was Anna, who was closely followed by Kaori. Behind her, was the one person Fushimi was dreading to see.

"Saruhiko?" Anna looked over at him with a surprised look on her face, matching Kaori's own one.

Kaori stared at him for a moment before looking to Keirsten, who smiled uneasily and shrugged her shoulders.

From behind her, Mikoto's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at his former clansman but he said nothing.

"Saru, what a surprise! You look like you're doing well," Kaori walked over to Fushimi and smiled softly, "Has Reisi Munakata been treating you well?"

Fushimi eyed her and suddenly felt a nagging pain in his chest, "I guess."

"That's good," She took her seat on the stool beside the one he was perched on and made his escape more difficult while she spoke to him, "Don't be so surprised, you know I still worry about you."

Fushimi looked from the woman beside him down to the still full glass that sat in front of him, "You shouldn't waste your time worrying about me of all people."

"Why not?" His eyes snapped up to her as she looked at him with such a calm, warm demeanor, "You're like one of my kids, Saru, and always will be."

Her last statement somewhat shocked him but he made no reply. When he heard shuffling from beside him and the sound of steel being pulled across the hardwood flooring coming from his other side, his spine went rigid knowing it was Mikoto who had taken the seat.

"I'll be honest with you kid," Mikoto started as he accepted the drink Kusanagi set down in front of him, "I'm not exactly thrilled with you being here right now, but I won't kick you out considering Keirsten has come here more than once and is enjoying her time talking to the girls. However, I won't let your presence being here spoil her time here with the girls should you wish to cause a fuss."

Fushimi bit back a scoff and turned his head slightly to further look away from Mikoto Suoh, "I didn't come here because I wanted to," His eyes trailed to Keirsten, "I came here for her because she wanted me to." 

"I figured as much," Mikoto eyed him before thanking Kusanagi with the ashtray that was set down in front of him before he pulled a cigarette from the pack on the counter and placed it between his lips, "How long do you plan on staying?"

Kaori watched the two and their exchange, "Mikoto..."

"Congratulations, by the way," Fushimi slipped passed Mikoto's question and shifted his eyes to look at Kaori, "On your marriage. I heard the wedding was two weeks ago."

She smiled softly while Mikoto looked right at Fushimi, his eyes narrowed slightly at the younger boy that so bravely brushed him off. He was about to make a comment when Kusanagi snapped his fingers directly in front of his King's face to light the cigarette, effectively drawing his attention away from the Blue clansman beside him.

\- x -

"Well, that movie was shockingly disappointing," Andy sighed as he led Saki from the theater doors, "I had high hopes for that one, too."

Saki smiled up at him and hugged his arm gently, "It wasn't that bad, Andy!"

"There was hardly any action in it, though!" He frowned, "How could it be promoted as an action movie when they had more talking and stretched out scenes with nothing but silence?"

Amused by his complaining, Saki reached up to poke his cheek, "You're being dramatic! There was plenty of action!"

"Oh, right," He pouted, "Heated debates don't count!"

Saki giggled, "You just wanted to see some fighting, didn't you? Well, there's another movie set to be released next month so why don't I take you to see that one? It looks rather promising."

"Sure!" His expression immediately brightened and she could feel his body lift up from the depths of despair and disappointment, "But I'm still upset about that movie, though."

"Well," Saki shot him a sly look, "I could always take care of that for you?"

Andy looked down at her and grinned, "Oh, really? How might you go about doing that?"

Saki innocently reached down and cupped his bottom with her hand before giving him a gentle squeeze, "Oh, you know... The only way I know how~"

"Oh, Saki~" He sighed happily, "What would I do without you?"

\- x -

"It's so depressing how fast a day off goes," Enomoto frowned as he helped each of his Special Unit members clean up the table, "We still have three more months before the next day off duty, and that's pending if the captain decides to give it to us."

Hidaka and Fuse nodded in agreement while Benzai gave him a calm look, "It could be worse, Enomoto."

"I know," The younger male sighed.

Akiyama chuckled softly at his fellow-clansman as he and Kamo heaved the table they had been using up into the air to take it back to the storage room. Goto followed with two of the cushions they'd been sitting on while motioning to the others to grab the rest.

"Sorry that you didn't get to spend the day with Hana," Kamo looked at Akiyama, "I know you try to spend time out of work with her, but Seri got to her first."

Akiyama offered him a smile and shrugged, "She needs to spend time with another woman every now and then. I can't be her only source of entertainment."

"True," Kamo chuckled, "I remember when my wife would get cranky every time her plans were spoiled whenever she couldn't go and spend time with her friends. Women need a break from the testosterone, just like we need a break from them every now and then."

Akiyama nodded in agreement, "Speaking of which, have you seen Momoko lately?"

"Unfortunately, no," Kamo sighed, "With our heavy schedules and her mother's strict visitation agreement, it makes it difficult for me to spend time with her. I'll be going to see her sometime next week, though."

Akiyama offered him a supportive smile, "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

"I hope so," Kamo looked at him, "Sometimes I feel as though I've failed as a parent, you know?"

"Don't think like that," Akiyama admonished, "She's too young to understand that you and your ex-wife didn't work out, so when the times comes just sit her down and be straightforward with her. It's the only appropriate thing you can do."

Kamo nodded and smiled slightly, "Thanks for that, Himori."

"Anytime," He smiled back.

\- x -

"S-Saki~" Andy gasped loudly as his eyes lidded in pleasure, "You're amazing, you know that?"

Saki grinned and continued moving, enjoying every little movement or twitch of Andy's flesh that she could produce from her ministrations. The male beneath her shuddered as she repeated her movements, each time with a more precise action that followed and excited the orange-haired male further.

"Should this be the moment that I boast about getting my amazing skills from my mother?" Saki giggled.

Andy sighed deeply as Saki pressed her knuckles into a knot in his back before twisting her wrist to work it out, "Oh, you can boast all you want~" He moaned as she brought her other hand closer to his spine and felt relieved when his disks cracked to relieve some pressure, "Ahhh~"

"You sound like you're having sex, you know that right?" Saki mused, "It's quite funny, actually!"

He looked back at her with a sheepish grin on his face, "Well, this feels almost as good as making love to you does!"

Saki felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she giggled and continued her work, "Since we're on the topic, I was actually thinking of taking massage therapy in school. What do you think?"

"I think you'd do amazing at it!" He moaned again when she released yet another knot from his lower back, "With those magic hands of yours, I'm sure you'd make quite an impression~"

She smirked and leaned down to nuzzle the crook of his neck, "Wouldn't you get jealous though, having another man enjoy my amazingly awesome massages?"

A squeal erupted from her lips as Andy pushed himself up, knocking Saki over onto the side of the mattress as he climbed over her with a sly grin, "I don't have to be jealous, when I know that at the end of the day I'm the one who gets to take you home~"

"Oh, Andy," She sighed happily, "My big, strong man~"

\- x -

"You ready to go?" Keirsten had walked over to Fushimi as she stood off to the side, absentmindedly staring at the jukebox situated on the far side of the bar beside the leather sofa, "I know you weren't all that thrilled to be here in the first place, but we can leave now if you want."

Fushimi looked down at her and nodded, "If you're ready."

"Meira went to go meet Rikio for dinner and Reina offered to start supper here so I'm good," She looked up at him as she extended her hand, "I hope you're not mad at me..."

Off to the side, Mikoto watched Fushimi closely as he slowly reached out to take Keirsten's hand and laced his fingers with her own. Kaori, who was sitting quietly beside her King, also kept her eyes on the two as Fushimi led Keirsten to the door.

"Bye, Kaori!" Keirsten looked over her shoulder and waved with a small smile, "I'll be sure to visit again soon!"

"Good, and bring Saru with you!" Kaori grinned, waving back at her and watched them disappear out the door before looking at Mikoto, "Stop glaring."

"I'm not," He turned to his drink and lifted it to his lips, "I'm disappointed if anything."

...

Keirsten followed Fushimi at a brisk pace until the two were far enough away from HOMRA for his liking, where he slowed down to a more comfortable stride, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did," She looked up at him, "Kusanagi seems like he's missed you being around."

"He was preparing me to replace him once he retired from his duties in HOMRA and the bar," Fushimi revealed, "I suppose aside from Misaki, my leaving affected him just as bad."

Keirsten sighed, "You know, I'm sure you would feel better if you made amends with them all. I know things wouldn't go back to the way they once were, but it could be a start."

"No," Fushimi quickly replied, "I can't go back there and pretend like nothing's happened, especially if I have to face Misaki and Mikoto again."

"Kaori seemed very happy that you were there," Keirsten argued, "And I'm pretty sure her opinion matters just as much as Mikoto's."

Fushimi finally looked down at her, "Were you planning this all along? For me to be slowly integrated back into the Red Clan?"

"No," She sighed, "But I was hoping that I could convince you to give your friendship with them another try."

He remained silent up until the two made it to her apartment, where he waited for her to unlock her door so she would be safely inside before he left. When she gripped the handle to the door, she turned to him and offered for him to join her until he absolutely had to go but he declined. Normally, it would have bothered her slightly for him to brush her off, but considering the circumstances, she didn't pursue the matter further.

"If you want me to, I'll give it an honest try," Fushimi finally said with a heavy sigh.

Keirsten looked up at him and smiled softly, reaching up to cup his cheek, "I appreciate it, but I don't want you to force yourself just to make me happy. I want you to want to do this, Saru."

"I want to," He admitted, looking into her hazel eyes, "Really."

Knowing he was bluffing and was just agreeing to set her mind at ease, she sighed and nodded, "Thank you, Saruhiko."

Fushimi reached up to cup the base of her neck before leaning down to claim her lips in a gentle kiss. It surprised her, due to the fact his usual advances were more passionate and urgent than this. Sighing softly, she brought her arms up to wrap them around his neck while he used his free hand to bring her body closer to his at the waist and held her to him. When they pulled apart, he gently brought her head forward so that her forehead was pressed against his collar bone.

"I can't bear the thought of losing you, too," Fushimi whispered into her as he held her tightly against him, "You know that, right?"

Keirsten nodded against the fabric of his jacket and closed her eyes, "I'm not going anywhere, Saruhiko."

"I know..." He closed his eyes and remained still, inhaling the sweet smell of mint and strawberry from her shampoo and body wash, "I know."

\- x -

"Will you be joining me this evening?" Munakata asked as he and Eri walked back into Scepter 4's lobby, "Or are you going to retreat to the dorms again?"

Eri pretended to give his question a lot of thought, "Hmm, good question," She caught the narrowed, halfhearted glare he was giving her before she smiled, "I'll be joining you. Besides, your bed is a lot more comfortable than mine is, so why would I leave you to have it all to yourself? That would be just cruel and very selfish of you, Reisi."

Munakata chuckled and nodded as they walked down the hall to his private quarters. When they arrived, he deposited the seven boxes of mixed puzzles onto his desk before looking over to Eri. She pulled her jacket off and set it on the expensive-looking lounge chair off to the corner of the bed before reaching down to unbuckle the belt around her waist. He felt himself smile when she quickly rid herself of her pants, standing there in her blue lacy underwear and a white t-shirt with a painted heart on it.

"I see you've become quite accustomed to being in the same room as me while going about your nightly routine," Munakata mused while she proceeded to pull the white shirt over her head, revealing a matching blue bra that made her bust look ever so enticing to the Blue King, "I'm happy about that."

Eri looked over and smiled, "Well, if I pretended to be shy you'd make quick work of getting me out of that, so why even try?"

"That assumption is quite accurate," Munakata chuckled.

Once he rid himself of his jacket, he quickly unbuttoned his black dress shirt but didn't discard it as he crossed the room over to Eri and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He sighed contently, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against his exposed torso. It pleased him even more when she brought her hands up to rest them over his arms, holding him there while he caged her against his body.

Leaning her head back against his shoulder, she looked up at him with a smile, "You know, you're a lot more sensual than I ever imagined you would be."

"I told you that this connection was more appropriate between lovers," Munakata leaned down and pressed his lips against her exposed shoulder, "It pleased me to no end when you accepted my offer."

Eri sighed softly at the touch of his lips and shuddered when his bangs brushed against her exposed flesh in a ticklish manner, "How could I when you made the offer too great to resist?"

"Hmm," He hummed against her as he continued pressing his lips further up her shoulder and to her collarbone, "Perhaps I should have used that tactic from the very beginning?"

Eri closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as she felt his lips make their way up the base of her neck, "I doubt that back when you first caught me I would have been more willing to share your bed before I was ready," Gasping softly, she felt his teeth creep out to nip at her tender flesh, "Although, you really were quite persuasive."

"I can be when the occasion calls for it," He mused, "Now then," He released one of his hands from the grip he had on his other forearm and began caressing the expanse of her body, "Shall I use my powers of persuasion for this situation, as well?"

Eri giggled and rolled her eyes despite herself before looking at him, reaching her hand up to lace her fingers into his royal blue locks, "You don't need to," With that said, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, igniting a fire that had sparked into a carnal desire earlier upon entering the room.

\- x -

"Thank you for spending the day with me," Seri and Hana stopped in front of the younger woman's door as she turned to face her, "I appreciated having some girl time."

Hana smiled, "It was my pleasure. After all, you are one of my closest friends, Seri."

Feeling endeared by that, Seri offered Hana a smiled before waving her goodbye and retreated down the hall to her room as she carried the bags holding her purchases.

Hana quickly entered her room and dropped her bags onto her mattress, deciding to change into something more comfortable and opted for her pajama bottoms and a plain muscle shirt before heading out to go find Akiyama. She figured to end the relaxing day she'd had spent with Seri, that she would enjoy an hour or two with her not-so-secret boyfriend.

When she found him, he was just exiting the storage room with Kamo and smiled as she approached, "Usual routine today, Himori?"

"Of course," He chuckled and smiled back, "How was your time with Miss Awashima?"

"Very good," She grinned, "I bought more than I probably should have, but I don't usually get to enjoy a day full of shopping."

Kamo offered her a friendly smile before ushering a grinning Hidaka away from the two, followed by Benzai, Enomoto, and Fuse. Goto waved at her before following the rest of them down the hall towards the male's dormitory, leaving Akiyama to stand in the middle of the hall with Hana.

"Would you like to sit outside with me?" Hana asked, smiling happily when he nodded and began to follow her towards the door the outside training area towards the back of Scepter 4's building to enjoy the rest of their day off.


	26. CH XXVI - Fushimi & Yata - Memories of Then

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my take on the whole relationship between Fushimi and Yata after he decided to leave. Keep in mind, I wrote this chapter before all of the content from GoHands and the completion of the K series, I wrote this well before everything else was released. So, to keep from rewriting this chapter, I'm going to leave my 2015 version of what might have happened and that's that. 
> 
> So, again, I wrote this back in 2015 before all Missing Kings, Return of Kings, and Seven Stories was released. Yes, I did read ALL of the mangas and related material to the K series as a whole, but I wrote this after only watching the first season of K Project back then. 
> 
> With that being said, I hope you enjoy! :)

It was a dreary, wet day barely skimming the first year since Fushimi defected from HOMRA to Scepter 4. He had begun to feel uncharacteristically nostalgic, finding himself standing near the upper levels looking out a large window. Perhaps it was due to the lack of sunlight that reminded him of that day he decided to leave the Red Clan, or maybe it was the fact he had too much time on his hands and was now letting his mind wander off in a moment of weakness.

Whatever the reason, his train of thought was now strolling backward in time to his last few days with his former clan and the decisions that forced Fushimi to jump into action without any second thoughts.

"Damn that Misaki," Fushimi darkly muttered, reaching his right hand up to the scarred mark on his left collar bone while raking his fingers roughly over the burnt flesh where his insignia still lay, "You bastard, this was all _your_ fault..."

To Fushimi, his closest friend had been one of the few driving forces for leaving.

The dark-haired male continued to stare out the window at nothing in particular while running his fingernails down the marred flesh until it began to sting with pain. Only when he felt a wet substance coating the tips of his fingers did he stop.

He had used that self-mutilation as a form of ultimate disrespect in regards to the Red King, Mikoto Suoh, despite the fact that it was Yata who took it to heart the most.

\- x -

 _Like any other normal day in HOMRA, Fushimi sat quietly at the bar while the others continued their loud chatter and jokes with each other._ _In the middle of that chaos was Yata, who smirked and would accept any challenge that Kamamoto or Bando would issue without missing a beat. The dark eyed male watched his companion in silence until he'd finally had enough, deciding to get up off the stool and walk through the doors to the kitchen in the back._

_Having noticed his sudden disappearance, Yata whisked himself over to the doors and managed to see Fushimi exiting the back door to the alley before following him._

_Knowing Yata was going to follow him, Fushimi walked silently through the alleyway with his hands in his trouser pockets. It wasn't until they were a good five blocks away from the bar when Fushimi finally stopped near the opening of the alley facing the main street that he turned to look at his friend and partner._

_"Gonna finally tell me what's on your mind, Saru?" Yata inquired slowly, not crossing the distance between the two. He stood with his shoulders square and his head slightly tilted downward, his eyes narrowing suspiciously towards his friend, "Or do I have to_ gently _persuade you to tell me?"_

 _Fushimi's eyes landed on the fiery vanguard standing a few feet away from him, mentally pushing any and all emotion far away from his mind as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. He was steeling himself to avoid the guilt that would arise once Yata knew his choices, knowing the boy was bound to pick his_ savior _over the friend that had been through hell and back with him._

_It wouldn't matter that the two became damn near brothers during their years together, or that they protected one another from all situations. From Fushimi's point of view, his young friend was so damn brainwashed by the Red King, that they were passed the point of redemption._

_He'd made his choice._

_"I'm leaving HOMRA," Fushimi stated with such alarming calmness in his voice that it even bothered him with how it came out._

_Yata's breath hitched as he stared at his partner in utter shock. It took a moment of repeating the words in his head several times over for him to give himself a shake, clearing the fogginess that had begun to settle over him. It was quickly replaced with anger and a burning desire for an immediate explanation._

_"Why?! Why would you leave us?" Yata yelled angrily, charging forward and reaching out to grab the white linen shirt Fushimi wore under his dark blazer, "What the hell, Saru?! Why the fuck would you leave when we have a purpose and stability here! You're just willing to throw that all away?! Don't you even care?"_

_Fushimi allowed Yata to throw him backward and forwards with the force of his anger, remaining silent as the young vanguard expelled his rage vocally towards his friend. During the exchange, a small grin formed on the taller males' lips and only succeeded in enraging the russet haired boy even further._

_"The truth is that HOMRA doesn't interest me anymore," Fushimi's dark cerulean eyes locked onto Yata's amber ones, "I'm done wasting my life chasing thugs or sitting around the bar for hours on end with nothing to do but wait."_

_Yata's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What the fuck does that mean?"_

_"It means that I'm not like you or the others," He stated with simplicity, "I want more than to be a punk that chases enemy gangs out of HOMRA's territory," The was a short pause as the two stared at each other, and for the first time Fushimi felt as though he may falter in his words, "I went ahead and joined Scepter 4."_

_"You..." Yata's mouth went wide, "You did_ what _?!"_

_"You heard me," Fushimi brought a hand up between them to detach himself from the shocked vanguard, "As I said before, I'm through with our sluggish routine and having no real stimulation," His arms lifted as his hands outstretched on both of his sides, "I want to use my power for something more – something greater than HOMRA."_

_"The hell, Saru! How could you say that?!" Yata gave an outraged cry, "After all Mikoto and Kusanagi have done for us, you choose to betray them for Blue's of all people?!"_

_Fushimi paused for a moment, knowing the revelation of his departure would upset Kusanagi most of all. He knew that Kusanagi had been secretly grooming him and preparing him to be his replacement once HOMRA's second-in-command decided to retire from his duties, and would be extremely disappointed in the fact he chose to turn away._

_"Ah yes," Fushimi mused, "Kusanagi, the one who chose me to be his next in line once he decided to step down as HOMRA's second. He has Tatara and Kaori, so I'm not worried."_

_There was a tense pause, knowing the longer he stalled things out that Yata would continue boiling in a pot of his own rage._

_"As for_ him _," Fushimi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he spat out the word with venom, "I feel no remorse or sadness for making my choice to leave the Red King."_

 _Yata snarled angrily, "But why!? Mikoto has done so much for us_ _! How could you betray him?"_

_Fushimi stared down at his partner in silence and remained still for a moment, "No, actually the only thing I have Mikoto Suoh to thank for is the fact he took away what mattered most from me, and he doesn't even know it."_

_"You're..." Yata's brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"_

_"You wouldn't understand," Fushimi spat back at him, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss the younger male, "He has you so damn obedient to him that even if I told you, it wouldn't matter."_

_His comment made Yata snarl, "The fuck?! Tell me Saruhiko, what's the real reason you're leaving us! It can't be because you're bored, so give it to me straight!"_

_"_ Us _?" Fushimi snickered, "I've already told you enough times that you should know by now, so why don't you listen for once in your life?"_

_Yata glared up at Fushimi as he balled his fist, raising it up to lightly press against the HOMRA insignia imprinted on the left side of the males' collarbone, "Don't you remember what this is? What it stands for!" From the sound of Yata's voice, Fushimi could tell the boy was running on pure emotion, "It's the symbol of our pride!"_

_There was a moment of silence where neither boy moved or spoke. Fushimi's eyes studied his younger companion for a moment, taking in all of the different emotions running through his amber orbs._

_Suddenly, Fushimi gave a deep, throaty chuckle while he stared down at Yata._

_"Pride, eh?" While flexing the fingers to his right hand, he set the tips on fire before reaching up to drag his flaming appendages over the mark with a relieved smile._

_Yata watched him with wide, sad eyes. It made his heart break to watch his best friend,_ his brother _,_ _mutilate himself to show his intentions._

Saruhiko...

_"There," Fushimi's breathing was ragged and sweat began to bead and drip down his forehead from the exposure, "I've rid myself of that pride you so fondly speak of, along with all ties to HOMRA."_

_"You bastard..." Yata's expression quickly turned dark as his aura engulfed him, matching the rage he was currently feeling for his so-called best friend, "I'll get you back for this one day... I swear, I'll fucking kill you."_

\- x -

With narrowed eyes, Fushimi dropped his hand so it hung limply at his side.

He could still recall how Yata looked at him as he turned to walk away from him forever, still feeling a pang of sadness every time he thought about it.

"That bastard," Fushimi looked down at his bloody fingertips, "It's all his fault... If he hadn't shown up that day, things would have been good if they'd of stayed the way they were."

Fushimi would forever resent Mikoto Suoh for taking Yata Misaki away from him. It would forever be ingrained in his mind the way Yata would look at him as if he were a God in human form. It was sickening how he would sit back and watch as his best friend would look up to the Red King, a look of admiration on his face as he craved for the older males attention. During the months leading up to Fushimi's decision, he began to feel an emotion that seemed more powerful than jealousy building up in the pits of his stomach for their King.

It would always be Mikoto Suoh's fault for the distance that had inevitably split the best friends apart, stripping Fushimi of the one bond he held so dearly. He'd been left alone once again like he was before meeting Yata Misaki, who had been the one to pull him out of the darkness. Yata had been one of the reasons Fushimi was still alive instead of a lifeless hollow shell.

Having walked away from that boy had been the single most difficult decision he'd ever had to do but in the end, it was Yata's betrayal that had left the deepest scar and turned him into the cold person he was today.

Fushimi would never forget or forget what HOMRA had brought to him, and so he would use that anger to forever refuel the fire burning inside of him whenever it came down to a decision to destroy the Red Clan.

Yata Misaki included.


	27. CH XXVII - Kuroh Yatogami (II) - Taking Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, quite a few major edits to this chapter, but for the most part, it stayed the same. The pacing was off so I corrected that, plus a certain key point about kings slaying other kings had to be corrected. Enjoy :)

"Will you do me a _HUGE_ favor?" Yoroi, a handsome young man who was rather tall with short dark hair and striking ebony eyes, rushed over to his roommate and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, "I'm desperate here!"

Kiyomi looked over her shoulder at him and grinned, "You're always so desperate and dramatic over the silliest things," She giggled and turned to face him, "What is it that you need this time?"

"Such ignorance..." He muttered before going back to his pretend facade of being horribly panicked, "I need supplies for my school's fare and I'm already forehead-deep in this project Kukuri has me doing, so would you please be the amazing roommate that I know you are and go buy the stuff I need?" Kiyomi deadpanned when he began to bat his lashes at her and cup his hands underneath his chin, "Pleaseeeeeeee~?"

She stared at him for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter and reached up to pat him on the head, "You're too cute. Of course, I'll go get what you need!"

"Oh, thank whoever the hell is up there!" He threw his hands into the air before reaching into his pants to grab his PDA, "It's a really long list but everything you'll be looking for is in the same store!"

Kiyomi nodded and smiled as she stood up, "Just so you know, this means you're cooking supper tonight."

"WHAT?!" Yoroi feigned hurt, "So cruel! First, you make fun of me and then you set me up for the torture of slaving over a hot stove! Oh, the agony!"

Kiyomi rolled her eyes at his antics but grinned nonetheless, "Yoroi, it would be so boring if you were normal."

"My boyfriend tells me that all the time," He grinned with a chuckle, "Really though, this is much appreciated!"

With a wink, Kiyomi headed to her room to grab her purse before heading out. She luckily caught the early train before it departed from the station and patiently waited for her destination.

Once she was deep in the heart of Shizume City, she made her way to the usual supply store that Yoroi had brought her to once before and walked inside. After grabbing a basket, she pulled her PDA from her purse and brought up the list to quickly scan over it.

"Alright," She whispered to herself, "I need three packages of white stationery, three packages of assorted colored paper, two sets of glue sticks, a glue gun," Her eyes narrowed down at the next line, "Sparkly gay stuff? Oh, Yoroi..." She giggled and shook her head, "Six packages of Styrofoam cups and six packages of paper plates. Seems easy enough."

As she wandered around the small shop gathering everything she needed, she heard two others enter the shop but didn't look over to see who had walked in. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see a rather tall, slim male with white hair and warm-colored eyes walk close to her with a deep red parasol draped over his shoulder and moved aside for him when he politely excused himself to slip into the aisle beside the one she stood in.

As Kiyomi reached to pick up the last item on her list from the shelf, a familiar voice caused her hand to freeze midair and turn to look at the source.

"Kuroh?" She blinked, immediately recognizing the tall, handsome male, "What a surprise!"

Both the Ashinaka student and Kuroh faced her with curious expressions, until a warm smile broke out on Kuroh's face, "Ah, miss Kiyomi. It's nice to see you again."

She nodded with a smile, "Yes, it's nice to see you as well!" Looking to his side where the bewildered student stood off to the side, she offered him a beautiful (in Kuroh's opinion) smile, "Hello, there!"

The boy suddenly gave her a friendly smile and extended his hand to her, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Yashiro Isana, but please, just call me Shiro."

"Nice to meet you too, Shiro," She smiled and accepted his hand, "I'm Kiyomi Wantanabe."

Shiro's smile suddenly turned into a teasing grin as he turned to give his current guardian a sly smile, "You never told me you had such a friendly, beautiful friend, Kuroh."

"I've only been acquainted with her for a short time," Kuroh quickly shot him a warning glance before turning his attention to Kiyomi, "Speaking of which, how have you been?"

Kiyomi watched their exchange with a smile, enjoying their display of friendship, "A lot better than I was when you'd found me. In fact, two weeks after you rescued me, I moved in with my current roommate who likes to act as if he's my mother sometimes. I think you'd like him if you met him."

"That's very good news," Kuroh smiled softly.

Taking the opportunity to quickly scan the contents of the basket she held in her hand, Shiro waited patiently for Kuroh and Kiyomi to finish their little chat before voicing his inquiry, "Are you and your roommate students at Ashinaka High School?"

"Just him," Kiyomi looked at Shiro, "Yoroi was just too damned lazy to come and get his supplies himself, but I secretly think his boyfriend is going over and this was an excuse to get me out of the house for their little soiree."

Shiro chuckled while Kuroh stood back silently and watched the two, "He sounds like me, although I was volunteered by one of the student council heads to come and get fireworks for the festival they'll be having soon."

"Ah, must be the same person who swamped Yoroi with all of this work he has to do," She giggled and looked at Kuroh, "I didn't know you were a student, Kuroh. Did you decide to enroll shortly after arriving here?"

Kuroh was about to reply but Shiro quickly cut him off, "He's actually just helping with the festival with special permission."

"Ah, I see!" Kiyomi nodded, "So are you two in town long enough to buy those and then head back?"

Shiro nodded, "Well, only one of us needs to be back in time to deliver these," He shot Kuroh a sly smirk, "I'm sure Kuroh could use the break from his duties back at the school. You two could always catch up over lunch?"

Kuroh went to object but the bright smile on Kiyomi's face immediately silenced him, "That would be great!" She caught the hesitant look on the taller males face and quickly added, "I mean if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," He gave her a reassuring smile.

After it was settled, Shiro and Kiyomi made their purchases before heading out and waved each other off as they went their separate ways leaving Kuroh to stand there feeling slightly uncomfortable.

As the two walked side by side, Kuroh held all of the bags for Kiyomi after strongly insisting that she allow him to do so. She couldn't put up much fight and eventually allowed him to remove the packages from her hands, and now as they sat down sitting opposite to each other the awkward air drifted away to something much more comfortable.

"So tell me how you met your current roommate... Yoroi, was it?" Kuroh asked with a smile.

Kiyomi looked at him and smiled back, "Funny story, actually. I'm friends with his lover, Yasuno, who introduced us after Yoroi had spilled an entire extra-large soda beverage all over me."

"I see," Kuroh chuckled softly, "And you enjoy living with this clumsy boy?"

Kiyomi giggled, "Yeah, he's a handful but he keeps me entertained," She leaned both elbows on the table and cradled her face in her hands, "So, what about your friend, Shiro? How did you two meet?"

"He was accused of being the Colorless King but found to be someone else entirely," Kuroh looked at her, "Do you remember what I explained to you when we first met?" When she nodded he continued, "He is actually Adolf K. Weissman, the first and Silver King. I serve as his vassal now that the most recent Colorless King has been stopped. However, our plan to capture and kill him has been unsuccessful as of lately."

Kiyomi blinked and nodded, "How many of the King's are in on this plan of yours?"

"Shiro plans to address the idea of an three-way alliance between our Silver Clan, the Blue Clan and the Red Clan," Kuroh explained, "Although, I doubt the Blue and Red Clan's will cooperate with their history of violence towards each other."

"I'm sure it will all work out in the end," Kiyomi spoke with a reassuring tone in her voice, "Even though our meeting was brief, I was able to gauge the kind of person he was. Your Silver King seems to know what he's doing."

Kuroh sighed, "I hope you're right."

The two sat there and converse for over an hour about anything and everything, with Kiyomi enjoying what Kuroh would tell her about his past. She too, revealed a significant amount about herself in return. They'd decided halfway through their chat they would share a dessert they mutually enjoyed and paired it with two cups of tea, simply enjoying each other's company near the end of their time together.

"So Kuroh," Kiyomi looked at him, "What do you plan on doing now that–"

She was cut off by the sound of a huge explosion coming from behind the building across the street for the cafe, causing both of them to stand up quickly. She grabbed her bags before Kuroh had a chance to and followed him out as he made his way out the door clutching the scabbard of his sword Kotowari, tightly.

"What do you think that is?" Kiyomi frowned as she followed Kuroh with slight difficulty due to the fact the citizens around them were scrambling everywhere to avoid the disaster, "Is it the work of that evil King you were talking about?"

Kuroh kept his eyes forward as he reached back to grasp Kiyomi's wrist gently and pulled her towards him while he knelt down in front of her, "I don't know, but we won't make it in time if we stay here on the streets."

Once she was situated on his back, he cradled her with one hand and used the other to generate his aura and shot it upwards to grapple onto a large sign. Clutching his fist, he felt his aura tighten before lifting them off the ground and into the air.

"Kuroh!" Kiyomi gasped as she hung onto the boy tightly, "How are you doing this?!"

When he landed he let her slide off his back and looked back at her briefly, "It was a gift I was given by my late master, Ichigen Miwa."

Accepting the answer, Kiyomi followed him closely as the two made their way to the far side of the roof and looked down to see where the fire and smoke was coming from. In the middle of the chaos, stood a sea of blue clad men as they faced a single man with a mask on his face.

"So, it was the Colorless King," Kuroh muttered darkly, "Kiyomi, I want you to stay here while I go down there."

She looked at him as if he had three heads, "Are you crazy?! You'll be killed!"

"I must go and fulfill the mission that was given to me by my late master," He didn't turn to face her as he spoke, "Please Kiyomi, stay here until I come to get you."

She stepped forward and had her argumentative words already prepared on her lips but stopped herself when he turned to face her, his crystal blue eyes boring down into her own warm colored orbs. The look he was giving her took her breath away and shriveled up all of the fight she had in her.

"Okay," Kiyomi bit her lip, "But please, Kuroh... Please, be careful."

Kuroh nodded before he jumped up onto the brick siding of the building, crouching down to use the force of his legs to propel himself into the air and descend down to the area.

Kiyomi rushed over and used her hands to brace herself as she looked over the side and watched as Kuroh landed off the side where the blue clad people stood. One man in particular stood out from the rest, even when his eyes landed on her dark haired friend.

She watched as the two exchanged words before turning to face the masked Colorless King. As Kuroh unsheathed his blade, she could hear a sickeningly high pitched, almost gleeful laugh coming from the evil King.

"That's what he's up against?" Kiyomi frowned deeply.

"Kiyomi," A voice from behind her caught her attention and soon she turned to face Shiro, who was floating in the air with a strange scantily clad female attached to him, "You shouldn't be here."

Kiyomi motioned to the scene down below, "Kuroh and I heard the explosion and came to investigate. He left me up here to go down and help those men dressed in blue."

"I see," Shiro landed and released his hold on his female companion, "Neko, would you please stay here with Kiyomi and help to keep her safe?"

The girl named Neko nodded with a grin, "You can count on me, Shiro!"

"Thank you," Shiro smiled down at her before walking towards Kiyomi, "Please don't worry yourself," He looked over the ledge and saw Kuroh and Reisi Munakata had already engaged the Colorless King, "Kuroh is very strong and can hold his own against a King."

Kiyomi looked at him and nodded with a frown, "Are you going down there to help?"

"I am," He smiled, "You'll be safe up here with my fellow clansman, but until the fight is done please don't allow yourself to be seen. The Colorless King has an ability to jump from body to body, and if he notices you or Neko up here he may try to target you."

Neko walked over to the two and took Kiyomi's hand that was free of her packages, "Come on, Kiyomi! Let's go hide somewhere safe!"

"Be careful, Shiro," Kiyomi looked at him, "Kuroh told me that you were the Silver King and that you were immortal, but... Just be careful, okay?"

He reached out to lightly pat her on the head, "Don't sweat it. I promise I'll bring Kuroh back to you without a hair missing from his head."

The two girls watched as he took to the air again before he made his way down the side of the building to join the fight.

"Come on!" Neko repeated urgently, pulling Kiyomi behind her until the two were on the other side of the building and hiding behind the area where the door leading to the stairwell was located, "Are you and Kuroh together?"

Kiyomi blushed slightly even though the situation down below was so hostile, "No, we're just friends."

"That's too bad!" She pouted, "Shiro told me Kuroh looked so happy when he saw you!"

She smiled despite herself, "Did he now?" Neko nodded and she giggled, "He saved me, you know... He saved me from some bad people who were hurting me, so I guess I owe him a great deal even if he denies it."

Neko smiled, "You should ask Shiro to join us!" Kiyomi blinked several times, "It would be nice to have another girl in the clan~"

"Oh," Kiyomi looked down, "Well, I don't know what help I would be."

Kiyomi felt an arm wrap around her neck as Neko gave her a one-armed hug, "Don't say that!"

"You're so enthusiastic," Kiyomi giggled again and looked at Neko, noticing that the girl had two different colored eyes, "You and Shiro must be close?"

Neko nodded several times with a bright grin, "Shiro and I are inseparable! I'm his forever domesticated, loyal cat!"

"Huh?" She blinked, "Cat?"

Neko pulled away grinning, "Just watch!"

Kiyomi had to rub her eyes at the scene as Neko pulled back and suddenly vanished into a puff of smoke. When the pink clouds disappeared, a small light pink cat sat in her place staring up at her.

"Oh," Kiyomi stared wide eyed, "You're..."

As fast as she had changed, the puff of smoke appeared again and soon Neko stood in front of Kiyomi as she had as a cat, "See! I'm a cat – I'm, Neko!"

"Wow..." Kiyomi shook her head to break her stare and looked at Neko again, "That's amazing!"

"Thanks!" The busty girl stood with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out proudly, "I have another ability too where I can manipulate people's minds and mess them up!"

Kiyomi couldn't help but laugh at that, "You're a trickster, are you?"

"Mm hmm!" Neko smiled proudly, "It's fun to play pranks on Kuroh, but he's gotten used to them now that I can't do it anymore."

At the mention of Kuroh's name, Kiyomi felt the worry build in her stomach again as she looked back towards where they'd come from.

Neko noticed the change in her attitude and frowned, "Are you worried?"

"I am," Kiyomi looked at and tried her best to smile, "But Shiro assured me that he would be alright, and I trust him."

Neko returned her smile and nodded, going back over to her and stayed by her side as the commotion from the battle still sounded in the air loudly.

\- x -

"Give it up, Colorless King!" Kuroh yelled as he shot forward once more, barely clipping the evil King with the tip of Kotowari.

The masked man began laughing maniacally again as he fluidly dodged any and all attacks towards him from both swordsmen, although he'd suffered minor damage due to Munakata's blue aura being shot from his own blade, Sirius, towards him earlier on.

"You're quite skilled at dodging our blows, Colorless King," Munakata stood on the opposite side of Kuroh so the two could cage their target between them with Shiro floating above them to prevent his escape, "Is that all you have as your great ability?"

The evil King in question turned to look at him and smirked under his mask, "Why fight you two when I could wear you both out and continue with my plan to consume you, Blue King?"

"Hmph," Munakata smirked, "I see. Well then, let's see who tires first, shall we?"

Without warning, Munakata shot forward and aimed Sirius as the Colorless King. Kuroh took that as the signal and propelled himself towards the two with Kotowari poised for the strike, ready to deliver the finishing blow to the man who replaced his former master.

Shiro watched from his spot in the air and closed his eyes, using his aura to encase the three so the evil King could not escape either by foot or through body transition. He heard a grunt of annoyance from down below and opened his eyes, witnessing as managed to dodge both incoming attacks once more. He could see the frustration starting to ebb away at Kuroh's patience while Munakata fixed his glasses and narrowed his eyes at their target.

"Hmm, not enjoying the fight, are we?" The taunting voice from behind the mask spoke, "Not so boastful when the battle isn't in your favor, are you?"

Munakata eyed him carefully before sheathing Sirius, turning his head to regard Kuroh momentarily, "Stand back. I will deal with this myself."

"I think not," Kuroh bit back with a heavy tone, "This was my mission given to me from master Ichigen Miwa, and I must do my duties to him to avenge him!"

Munakata looked back towards the Colorless King, noticing how slack his posture was and felt as though his current behavior was suspicious, "I understand your reasoning and all the while noble, this is no place for someone who is not a King," He met Kuroh's glared crystal orbs, "I will, however, ask that you cover me as back up when the time is right. You will know when I give you the signal, and with that, I will allow you to make the final blow."

Kuroh glared at the Blue King but stood down, knowing words wouldn't get him anywhere with the man who had already proven to be more than a challenge during their last encounter, "Alright," He looked forward and stepped back despite the fact he was extremely unhappy with the turn of events.

"It's a pity that you're here on your own, Kuroh Yatogami," The evil king looked towards him and lifted his hands out from his sides, "That pretty girl you had with you could have kept me entertained while we were here having this little pause in our fight."

Munakata's eyes shifted back to the Black Dog as he watched Kuroh's eyes narrow dangerously, "I will not allow you to involve innocent people in your sick and twisted game, Colorless King."

"So I was right," Laughter erupted from behind the mask, "She is important to you! Maybe I should go and take her body for myself, hmm? It would make things a lot more difficult for you to fight me when you're staring in the face of someone you love~"

"You won't make it out of here alive if you choose to go along with that course of action," Kuroh's voice was monotone and for the first time since he'd known him, Shiro's brows furrowed with worry as he watched his friend on the ground.

Munakata took the opportunity to step forward, "I believe I finally have a grasp of the situation," The masked man faced him and already he could imagine the twisted smirk on his face, "This was your plan, two draw us out here so you could take care of all your obstacles before going to engage the Red Clan and then the Green Clan, wasn't it?"

"As a matter of fact, the Green Clan has been particularly difficult to track down," Came the easy breezy reply, "However, the Red King will be easy to take care of. He's become weak now that he's governed by his lover, so I may just take her and kill her first in order to give that lazy bastard reason to use his full powers."

Munakata chuckled deeply, "You are extremely naive if you think you can get near that woman, Colorless King," His cerulean eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the man, "Now then, shall we finish this?"

"Yes, lets~" The man suddenly lifted his hand and aimed a powerful blast of his aura upwards and managed to break the barrier that Shiro had created, using the opportunity to flee the scene and headed up to the rooftop where Kiyomi and Neko were.

Shiro was first to recover and go after him, followed closely by Kuroh, "Oh, no you don't!"

"Hehe~" Swiftly, the evil King scaled the walls and soon jumped over the ledge, "A game of hide and seek, eh? Come out, come out, wherever you are~"

_**~MEOW~** _

He looked around at the sudden change of scenery before realizing it was merely an illusion, "Lovely trick, but it won't do you any good!" Darting forward, he managed to catch a glimpse of Neko and Kiyomi even through the haze of the illusion and pulled his mask off, "You're mine now, girl~!"

Said girl turned around as she watched him quickly approaching them, when Neko's hands clasped roughly over her eyes and soon she could feel herself hitting the ground with a painful yelp. There was a pregnant pause as Neko peeked out from beneath her eyelid, noticing the body that had been practically flying towards her and Kiyomi now stood frozen in front of them.

"Shiro!" She looked at him as he approached, "I stopped him from getting Kiyomi!"

"Not exactly~" A twisted version of Kiyomi's voice spoke from her spot on the ground, "I'm just too quick for the likes of you, strain!"

Neko gasped loudly and watched as Kiyomi shot upward and ran towards the edge of the building, "Kiyomi!"

"See you later, suckers!" She smirked as she stepped up onto the ledge and jumped over.

Kuroh darted forward and without warning jumped over after her, "I won't allow you to escape!"

"Hehe~ how will you fight me now that I have your darling little lover, Black Dog?" Her face twisted with a sickening smirk worn by the evil King, "You won't be able to harm a hair on her head!"

When they landed on the ground below, Scepter 4 had also made it to where they were and surrounded the two. Munakata stepped forward and noticed the way the woman before them was looking, immediately piecing together that the King had jumped bodies.

"Kuroh," He stepped forward, "Allow me to deal with this situation."

"No," Kuroh's eyes never left Kiyomi, "I will not allow you to engage him until he has been expelled from Kiyomi's body."

Munakata watched the two as Kuroh narrowed his eyes, looking passed Kiyomi and through to the Colorless King, "Allow me to be of assistance, then."

"We need to go about this carefully," Shiro landed behind Kuroh and looked at Munakata, "We can't harm Kiyomi's body while she's possessed by the Colorless King."

Munakata looked at him, "How do you plan on extracting him?"

"I have a plan," Shiro looked forward at the smirking girl who stared at Kuroh, "Follow my lead."

The Blue King hesitated only for a second before nodding, looking at the evil King and waiting for the Silver King to make his move.

\- x -

 _Where am I?_ Kiyomi thought as she seemingly floated in a vast expanse of white, _What is this?_

Her eyes slowly scanned the white nothingness as she released the hold she had on herself, allowing her arms to fall to her sides. She looked down at herself and noticed she was free of any clothing and seemed to be glowing.

 _Is this real?_ Her brows furrowed, _If this is, why am I here?_

Kiyomi let her head loll back and closed her eyes, just floating there in the silence. In her mind, she reviewed the events that led her to where she was now, not being able to recall how she appeared in this strange place.

 _Kuroh..._ Her eyes opened slowly and she felt something wet slowly running down her cheeks, _Kuroh, are you there? If you are, can you tell me where I am?_

 _"I'm afraid you're trapped in a world of solitary and silence,"_ A taunting voice echoed around the clear expanse. _"Why don't you just go to sleep and allow yourself to drift into nothingness?"_

Kiyomi's brows furrowed as she straightened up and looked around still seeing nothing but white, "Who is that?"

 _"Ah, and here I thought you'd lost most of your conscious mind,"_ The voice mused, _"It seems you have more spirit than I originally thought~"_

She continued to look around and bit her bottom lip, "You're the Colorless King, aren't you?"

 _"Very good,"_ The voice chuckled menacingly, _"However, too bad it's too late and there's nothing you can do to save yourself. Shame, you won't even get to see the look on Kuroh's face as I completely consume your soul and let him watch the life drain away from your eyes~"_

Kiyomi frowned deeply, "You're sick..."

 _"So I've been told~"_ The voice said gleefully, _"Now then, why don't you close your eyes and allow me to send you into a deep slumber?"_

"No," Kiyomi pushed her body forward and flew forward into the white expanse, "I won't let you!"

 _"It seems that I have my work cut out for me,"_ The King's voice dropped an octave and became more lethal, _"Be a good girl and stay still, won't you?"_

\- x -

Kuroh watched as Kiyomi's body convulsed as she fell forward to the ground onto her hands and knees. He could see perspiration lining her forehead as her body shook involuntarily.

"She's fighting back," Shiro walked forward so he was standing beside his vassal, "She's strong, Kuroh. She'll make it through this."

Kuroh looked from Kiyomi to give Shiro a brief look, "I hope you're right."

"We'll win this," Shiro moved his hand so he was holding the parasol in front of him and closed it, "Guard my body while I'm gone."

Munakata, who had been standing off to the side, eyed the Silver King suspiciously, "What is it you intend to do?"

"I'm going to enter Kiyomi's body and lure out the Colorless King," Shiro handed Kuroh his parasol, "When I've successfully separated them, I'll bring him into my own soul and that's when we'll kill him."

Munakata narrowed his eyes while Kuroh shot Shiro an incredulous look, "That's too reckless, even for you!"

"We don't have any other options," Shiro smiled at him before he made his way over to Kiyomi's form still on the ground, "You know what to do, Kuroh?"

When he heard a grunt of approval from behind him, Shiro knelt down in front of Kiyomi and forced her upper body up so that she was sitting on her knees. Without any further change, all eyes watched as the Silver King gently cupped the back of her neck and leaned forward while pulling her towards him.

As their foreheads touched, both Kiyomi and Shiro began to glow with his Silver aura.

"Do you think this will work?" Awashima asked as she watched the scene unfolding before her.

Munakata watched what was happening intensely, "We have no choice but to believe that the immortal King is capable to retaining another King."

Lieutenant Awashima nodded slowly, having no choice but to remain silent and watch while the entire Scepter 4 Special Unit waited impatiently for something to happen.

\- x -

Kiyomi struggled against the figure of the Colorless King, who had appeared in before her to latch himself to her form. She could hear his twisted laughter so close to her ear it caused a wave of disgusted shudders to run up and down her spine.

"Come now, Kiyomi~" She could feel his breath fan over her cheek as he did the best he could to look at her from over her shoulder, "Just give in. It's not a sign of weakness to submit to a higher power~"

Kiyomi glared back at him and thrashed against his hold, "Let go of me!"

"Now why would I do that?" He gave her a twisted smirk as one of his many personalities began to take over, "It's more amusing have you moving so deliciously against my body!"

She bit her bottom lip and grabbed a hold of the arms that caged her tightly, "You don't even know who you are anymore, do you?"

The Colorless King stared down at her with narrowed eyes when his attention shifted over to their new guest, "Weissman."

"Hello, Colorless King," Kiyomi looked over to see a figure identical the man holding her, "A sad situation you've gotten yourself into, isn't it?"

Kiyomi felt his body quake with laughter as he gave Shiro a twisted smirk, "I don't think you've got any grounds to say something like that to me, Weissman~"

Shiro looked from Kiyomi to her captor, "Kiyomi," His eyes landed on her once more, "Please, close your eyes. I'm going to release the hold the Colorless King has on you, and once we are out of your subconscious you will wake up as if nothing has happened."

Kiyomi nodded slowly and closed her eyes as Shiro instructed. She could feel the Colorless King tense against her back as Shiro suddenly began speaking in a foreign tongue, when the arms caging her disappeared.

\- x -

Kiyomi woke up with a gasp, instinctively pushing the closest body away from her only to realize it was Shiro's slump figure that hit the ground from her force. She looked around momentarily disoriented before noticing Kuroh's approaching figure.

"Kiyomi," He approached her slowly, "You're safe now."

Her eyes landed on the extended hand he held out to her and slowly, hesitantly, she reached up to grab it gently. As he lifted her to her feet, Shiro shifted on the ground and pushed himself onto his feet.

Kuroh brought Kiyomi close to him to protect her in case Shiro's plan hadn't been successful, watching him closely while Munakata circled around him with his saber, Sirius, poised and ready to strike.

"Do it," Shiro looked at Kuroh, surprising Munakata at his sudden change of plan, "I can't hold him much longer."

Munakata cast Kuroh a warning stare before preparing himself for the blow, "As you wish."

Kiyomi watched with wide eyes as Kuroh's sword pierced Shiro's chest. All of Scepter 4 watched with bated breaths as Shiro's eyes closed and the two swords hovering above him high in the sky disintegrated into dust.

Neko joined Kiyomi as she watched Shiro's form slump forward against Kuroh as he pulled his sword from the immortal King's body. The feline strain darted forward to help Kuroh handle Shiro's slumped figure, as both of them set his body on the ground to await his revival.

"It seems his plan worked," Munakata looked over to Kuroh and Kiyomi, "It shouldn't be much longer until the Silver King wakes up again. Until then, allow Scepter 4's personal medical core to take Kiyomi and tend to her."

Kuroh looked at the Blue King for a moment before reluctantly nodding, allowing Awashima to escort Kiyomi to their medics. He watched the two walk away before looking to Neko, who was holding Shiro against her tightly.

"Shiro," Neko sniffled and looked down at him sadly, "He should be waking up now, Kuroh. Why isn't Shiro waking up?"

Kuroh offered her a kind smile, "He'll be fine, Neko. He's our immortal King, after all."

Neko looked up at him and nodded with a small smile.

\- x -

"You know, usually these types of things happen later on in a friendship or relationship?" Kiyomi looked up at Kuroh as he walked with her along the sidewalk towards the apartment she and her roommate live in, "Never did I think I would get attacked on the very first outing with you."

It had been over three hours since the encounter with the Colorless King and the ploy to end his life. Slowly but surely, things finally went back to the way they were and flowed smoothly once Shiro had woken up. It had taken him forty-five minutes to regain consciousness, relieving not only his fellow clansman and Kiyomi, but the Blue Clan as well.

Kuroh frowned, "I didn't mean to put you in danger."

"I'm not mad," She smiled, "In fact, I'm happy that I was a part of that."

"You are?" His brows furrowed.

Kiyomi nodded, "It showed me what goes on in your world, and that with some time and some serious training, I could help you by becoming a part of it."

"Kiyomi," Kuroh stopped walking and looked down at her, "Are you saying that you wish to become a part of the Silver Clan?"

A grin slowly spread on her face, "Well, Shiro _did_ extend the offer..."


	28. CH XXVIII - Anna Kushina & The Girls (II) - An Eventful Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy Tatara and his lover's relationship because when I originally posted this back in 2015, everyone was gushing over those two. I think aside from the Yata/Reina relationship, Tatara/Kyra were definitely a hard second favorite ;)

"You must be getting excited now that your due date is only three days away, Kyra," Reina said with utter excitement, "Tatara must be getting pretty anxious, too!"

"Yeah, he's biting his nails in anticipation," Kyra giggled and grinned at the younger female sitting beside her as she caressed her round belly fondly, "Although, I think it's safe to say that we're all getting pretty excited!"

"Mm!" Reina nodded in agreement, "You've definitely got that right!"

The two sat on the leather sofa comfortably and began to relax until the door burst open, revealing all the HOMRA boys as they filed into the bar one at a time after returning for their patrols.

Reina had been volunteered (not that she needed much bribing) to stay behind after it had been decided that Kusanagi and Tatara were to accompany the King during today's patrol. As soon as he entered the bar, Kusanagi walked over to take his usual spot behind his rosewood baby while Akira sat on one of the red bar stools.

Tatara made his way over to his pregnant lover and took a seat beside her when Reina hopped up to greet Yata, "Nothing yet?" His eager eyes wandered down to her very large belly as he gently pressed his hands against the bump, "I was hoping to receive an urgent phone call saying you had gone into labor, but we're all left to wait yet again!"

Kyra rolled her eyes with a grin, "Be nice!"

Smiling, Tatara lifted his arm and rested it behind her on the top of the couch to make himself more comfortable.

"Oh good, you're all back!" Kaori's voice entered the room as she came down the stairs, "Can I get a few of you to help move the rest of my furniture from my old apartment to here?"

Almost all of the boys were eager to jump into action and decided to make quick work of it before they relaxed for the afternoon. Kamamoto took Meira by the hand and led her out, followed closely by Yata and Reina.

Thanking them before they left, she crossed the room and looked at Kyra and Tatara, "I have to go make an emergency visit to the pharmacy for Anna today, so I figured I'd extend the offer to get you out of the confines of the bar?" She grinned, "I think some fresh air would you do some good, my darling."

"Yes!" Kyra heaved herself up off the sofa and smiled up at Tatara when he'd helped balance her, "I'm beginning to get cabin fever staying cooped up in here."

Tatara helped Kyra waddle her way to the door where she slipped a more pair of comfortable flats onto her feet while Kaori and Anna made their way over to them. With a quick wave to Kusanagi and Akira, the small group headed out into the crisp air that welcomed the beginning of fall.

"So," Tatara looked at Kaori, "Have you and Mikoto come to a decision yet?"

Kyra looked at Kaori and grinned with anticipation of her answer, "You'll be happy to know that the flag has dropped and it's all good for go now," She giggled and smiled, "He's more than happy to keep trying until it happens, and even afterward for that matter."

"Well, the Red aura seems to enhance the libido," Kyra cast a sly grin in Tatara's direction, who had a dashing smile on his face, "Either way, it's about damn time you two start reproducing! We need little red-haired babies running around."

Kaori shook her head with a smile at Kyra's words, "I hope if I have more than one they don't inherit Mikoto's temper. I don't think I could handle all of his children bursting into flames at school because another kid stole our baby's crayon."

"Temper, shmemper!" Kyra winked, "Besides, I'd be more worried about your baby squashing your bladder for what seems like an eternity and having them play conga on your sciatic nerve."

Kaori grinned, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Kaori," Anna's quiet voice drew her attention down to see her big crimson eyes looking up at her curiously, "Where do babies come from and how are they made?"

Tatara froze in his place while Kyra's hands flew up in front of herself as if she were yielding to the situation, "I've got a little one that I have to have this talk with, so this is all you, mum!"

Kaori stared at them with a blank expression, "Thanks a lot, guys. I'll remember this," She gave them both a warning look that told them revenge was on its way before returning to the curious child standing at her side, "Well, honey, you see...When a couple loves each other very much, they do a very special kind of... _dance_ together to show their love for each other, and that's how you and I were made."

Both Tatara and Kyra stood back and watched while Kaori tried to explain sexual intercourse to Anna without being vulgar or too revealing about it, "Special dance?"

"That's right. It's a very special, very intimate way of showing affection," Kaori explained with a smile, having to remind herself that while Anna was old enough to know about these things, she was still a lot more innocent than what the others gave her credit for. 

Anna blinked for a moment, "This dance... Is that what Yata and Reina do often?"

"I suppose you could say that," Kaori didn't both denying it, knowing Anna was smarter than that, "Either way, I'm very happy that you have a healthy curiosity but you're much too young to be worrying about those things just yet. You don't want to rush something like that, love."

The young strain nodded slowly as she reached up to take Kaori's hand, "Will you and Mikoto do that dance to create a baby?"

"Well, it happens a lot more than I'd like to admit aloud," She muttered to herself so Anna couldn't hear her before smiling, "But yes, Mikoto and I will be doing that dance to try and create our own bundle of joy," Reaching down with her free hand, Kaori pat the top of her head, "But don't you worry, you'll always be my first little girl and I'm hoping you'll be a great older sister!"

"Will it be a girl?" Anna's eyes brightened, "I think Mikoto would like a baby boy, though."

Kaori nodded, "I agree–"

" _AHH!_ " Kyra suddenly bent forward and gripped her belly tightly, "Kaori, Tatara," Her breathing became labored as she looked over at the two, "Get me to the hospital... NOW."

No other words were spoken as the two jumped into action, with Kaori flagging down a taxi and Tatara sending out an urgent message through the Red Clan's personal line on their PDA's. Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he helped Kaori slide Kyra into the taxi when it arrived and stuffed themselves in after buckling Anna in.

Once at the hospital, Kyra was placed in a wheelchair and immediately taken by a nurse to a room where she would be changed and examined by the doctor.

Anna watched and frowned as she gripped Kaori's hand tightly, "Kyra... She's in a lot of pain?"

"She'll be okay," Kaori smiled down at her, "Come on now, let's go and greet the others."

Kaori left Tatara to wait in the hall knowing he would be escorted to her room once the doctor was finished examining her and went to the private waiting room HOMRA was always given for any circumstances with any members in the hospital. When she and Anna walked in, Kaori was instantly bombarded with questions from anxious ladies.

"Is she okay?!" Reina sprung up from her seat.

Kaori smiled, "She'll be alright. We got her here really quick after her water broke, so aside from the labor pains she's doing fine."

Akira released a steady breath as she leaned against Kusanagi, "What a relief. When we got the text from Tatara, it was like pandemonium in the bar."

"I can just imagine," Kaori sighed, "Tatara probably panicked and sent an emergency signal instead of telling you all what really happened."

"You know," Mikoto walked up to her and looked down at her, "You're a part of a scenario that will happen with us," His hand gently cupped her face, "Are you alright with that?"

Kaori grinned up at him and winked, "The pain will be all worth it once I see our baby for the very first time, so yes, it'll be very much worth it."

"I'll hold you to that when you're cursing me for impregnating you," Mikoto mused with a grin before turning his attention Anna, "You must be excited that you're about to become a big sister?"

She nodded before batting her beautiful crimson's up at Mikoto until a look of realization crossed her face, "Kaori," She turned to her surrogate mother and blinked, "We never made it to the store."

Kaori went wide-eyed, "Damn it! Okay, Anna, just stay right here and I'll go find a nurse!"

Rushing out of the room leaving everyone to stare bewildered at her abrupt exit, Mikoto decided to get an answer and looked down at Anna with his brow raising.

"Should I be worried?"

Anna shook her head while her cheeks began to slowly burn a light pink, "Kaori said it's a part of the female biological function..."

Silence.

A moment of awkward silence passed by while Mikoto and Anna stared at each other before he sighed and ran a hand over his hair, "Is that so?" He shuffled on his feet to pivot around to face the Red Clan's princess and knelt down in front of her, "You're really growing up, aren't you?"

Off to the side, Akira pulled away from Kusanagi and walked over to Meira, "Isn't she barely eleven?"

"Kaori told me once that strains sometimes mature a lot faster than we do and start earlier," Meira giggled and smiled, "They don't get _those days_ as often as you or I would, but the trade-off is they sexually mature a lot faster than we do."

"Poor girl," Akira smiled softly in Anna's direction, "To be _blessed_ with that so early... How cruel life really is."

Meira nodded in agreement, "No arguments there."

Five minutes later, Kaori returned and gently pulled Anna out of the room to take her to a restroom so she could explain to her what to do.

\- x -

"Not much longer now," Tatara smiled at Kyra, who was resting against the back of her mattress trying to relax before the big event.

Kyra rubbed her belly and inhaled deeply, "The last time the nurse checked me she said I was only one centimeter away from being fully dilated and ready to go," She looked at Tatara with a both excited and frightened expression, "Tatara... It's really happening. I'm really having this baby."

"I know," he smiled lovingly at her, "You're going to be such an amazing mother."

With the array of emotions coursing through her, she felt her eyes water with the sincerity of his words and the loving look he was giving her, "Tatara..."

With a knock on the door, a nurse peeked inside and smiled, "We're ready to take you in and do the final check. Your friend Kaori is out here waiting for you and we have a medical robe and hair net for you to wear, mister Totsuka."

Kyra felt her stomach drop from nervousness as she nodded slowly, momentarily ignoring the pain in her pelvis. Two male nurses walked in and quickly took the break off the bed she lay in and began to wheel her out, leaving Tatara to follow them out the door where the nurse form before handed him what he needed to go into the surgical room.

"It's time!" Kaori grinned from ear to ear as she and Tatara took their places on either side of the bed and took Kyra's hands, "You're going to do amazing!"

Kyra gave her a nervous grin, "I'm so scared though! You're allowed to come in with me, right? Please say that you are."

"You bet I am," Kaori giggled, "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Kyra heaved a heavy, relieved sigh at the older woman's words. Tatara and Kaori could visibly see her shoulders relax even as she was brought through the double doors and into the room where her miracle was about to happen.

\- x -

"Man, the suspense is killing me!" Reina pouted, "I hope someone comes and tells us what's going on soon."

Yata chuckled and smiled at his impatient girlfriend, "I'm sure either Tatara or mum will be by here shortly. The nurse that came to tell us Kyra had been taken into the delivery room was here only about half an hour ago, so it won't be long now."

"You're right!"

All eyes landed on Tatara as he walked into the room with a proud grin on his face and his eyes still red from the tears spilling down his cheeks.

"I'm officially a father now~!" He exclaimed happily, holding the light pink bundle in his arms, "Isn't she the most beautiful girl you've ever seen!"

When he walked further into the room and stood in the middle, all of the members swarmed him to get a closer look at their newest addition to the Red Clan's family.

"She's absolutely beautiful," Akira smiled and softly stroked the sleeping baby's cheek, "Do you guys already have a name for her?"

Kusanagi stood beside the two and chuckled, mentally noting how Tatara's daughter already had his features. Of course, she resembled her mother as well but holding the baby so close to his chest the bartender could really see the resemblance to her father. 

"When we were tossing names around a couple of weeks ago, we thought of a name that would suit a girl should Kyra have a baby girl," Tatara looked down at the angel in his arms and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Kiseki is what we decided on, because even after the incident where Kyra was injured, this little one fought for survival and managed to live through all odds against her."

The three girls standing off to the side all had tears streaming down their faces and nodded at Tatara's and Kyra's very sentimental reasoning behind their daughter's name, while Kamamoto stood off to the side with Yata trying to coax him into actually going near the baby. When Yata would shake his head and nervously bite his lip, his partner would remind him that Kiseki wouldn't bite him.

Eventually, each member got to introduce themselves to the newest addition to the family. It was surprising to see all of the boys, especially someone like Yata (who eventually gave in to investigate) become emotional at the hands of an infant. It endeared Tatara to no end to see all of his fellow clansmen so happy and so unlike their heinous reputations.

"King," Tatara turned to look at Mikoto, who had been sitting casually on one of the chairs with Anna by his side, "I'd like you to be one of the first people to hold her, and then you too, Anna!"

Mikoto gave Tatara an uneasy look and began to object when Kiseki was set into his arms without his consent.

It took a moment for the situation to really set in before Mikoto finally stopped staring at the little girl in his arms and adjusted his hold on her, now cradling her against his chest with such a warm, soft expression on his face.

"Why, hello there," Mikoto's deep voice that was a completely different contrast from Tatara's, made Kiseki open her eyes and look up at him.

Little did she know that by doing that, she'd instantly captured the Red King's heart.

"You know," He sighed and smiled small, "You're going to be one spoiled little lady, but I'm sure you're already aware of that."

He could hear chuckling in the background while everyone in the room grinned at the sight of their fearsome Red King turning into a softy at the hands of Kiseki.

"You'd better get used to holding a little one, King!" Tatara smirked, "It won't be long now before you're holding your own baby boy or baby girl in your arms for the first time."

Mikoto looked up at him and flashed him a smirk, "I secretly hope Kaori gets pregnant with twins."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"So I don't have to hand one of the two over while she occupies and fusses with the other," Mikoto said, giving his humorously selfish reasoning.

His clansmen erupted into a burst of hearty laughter that filled the room, "Well, you never know! You might just get what you're asking for!"

Tatara chuckled at his friend before looking down at Anna, who was transfixed on the infant in Mikoto's arms. She looked absolutely stunned at how tiny the little bundle was and was currently trying to lean over the King's arm to get a better look.

"Would you like to hold her?" Tatara tilted his head with a smile, "I'm sure King won't mind if you took a turn."

"I..." Anna pulled back and sat down, her eyes wandering to her lap as she felt a wave of hesitation crash onto her, "Okay..."

"Here," Mikoto shifted in his seat so he was turned towards her and skillfully passed Kiseki into Anna's arms, "Be sure to cradle her head."

Unbeknownst to the two, Tatara took off quickly in a spur of happiness only to come back with his camera. He had remembered to bring it with him before Kyra went into full labor, so it had been set in her new room on one of the tables after being set down and replaced with the baby in his arms.

"Such a heartwarming sight!" Tatara cooed, "Our King and princess as they meet the new addition!"

Anna kept her eyes on the fragile child in her arms, staring into the baby's own blue eyes. It surprised her just how light Kiseki was, or how awkward it could be to hold the infant when Kiseki would squirm.

"I wonder..." Anna whispered to herself, "Can you see Mikoto's red?"

\- x -

"I should have known when he said he'd be back in a couple of minutes, that he meant he was kidnapping my baby and taking her away for forever," Kyra sighed dramatically, finally able to relax after a strenuous day of work she was happy was over, "Thanks again for being there for me, Kaori. I'm glad you were there to hold my hand and talk to me while it was all happening..."

Kaori smiled and brushed her still damp bangs from her forehead, "Anytime, Kyra."

"Oh yeah," Kyra shifted and looked Kaori right in the eyes, "Tatara and I were talking, and we've decided that should anything happen to us, that you and Mikoto are to become Kiseki's legal guardians."

Kaori felt her eyes tear up, "Kyra, that's..."

"Too much?" She grinned, "I know it's kind of soon to be asking you this, but I just wanted to make sure that if anything happened to either Tatara or myself, that Kiseki would be in the most capable hands I can put her in."

Kaori reached over and took her hand, "Do you even have to ask?" She gave Kyra's hand a gentle squeeze and winked one of her teary eyes, "I'd be honored."

"Good," Kyra giggled and sighed softly, "At least now I don't have to get on my hands and knees to beg."

Kaori rolled her eyes, "As if you'd have to go to that extreme."

"No, but I'm pretty sure Tatara would have," She giggled, "Speaking of him, I'm hoping to actually get to hold my baby girl here soon."

"Want me to go and get him?" Kaori teased.

"Please," Kyra sighed, "I know he's excited, but so am I!"

Kaori smiled and got up, "Actually," She looked to the side of the room where the wheelchair sat, "I have a better idea."

\- x -

"Oi, Tatara!" Kaori grinned as she entered the room pushing Kyra along with her, "We have come to commandeer Kiseki so she can be with her mother for a while."

Tatara turned to look at Kaori and Kyra as he grinned while he cradled Kiseki, "Fineeee, I suppose!"

"Congratulations, Kyra!" Akira and Reina rushed over and hugged their surrogate sister tightly, "She's gorgeous!"

Kyra grinned, "She got all of her good looks from me so poor Tatara will be out-shined."

The girls laughed while Tatara pretended to be hurt by her comment, but the goofy grin on his face said otherwise.

Setting Kiseki into her mothers' arms, Tatara stepped back and watched with a smile on his face while Kyra held her so close. Akira and Reina smiled brightly and leaned over her on both sides to coo over the infant, soon having Meira joining them in her excitement.

"So," Kaori sat down beside Mikoto and grinned, "She's quite beautiful, isn't she?"

"Mm," He nodded and looked at her, "Anna was quite taken with her, too."

Kaori leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the young girl, "Did you hold her?"

"I did," Anna looked at her before looking over to where Kyra was, "She's so tiny... I almost felt like I would break her."

Both Kaori and Mikoto smiled at that, "To think you were that small once," Anna looked at Kaori with big eyes and nodded slowly, "We all start out that tiny and fragile."

"Will your baby be that little?" Anna looked from Mikoto to Kaori.

Mikoto nodded, "All babies start out that small so their mothers' can carry them."

"If we all gave birth to fully mature little boys and girls, us ladies would be huge," Kaori giggled and held her arms out in front of her to emphasize a large belly.

Anna smiled small, "So Kaori's baby will be tiny like Kiseki?"

"Yes," Kaori smiled, "Only I'm hoping our little one will have fiery red hair like his or her daddy."

Mikoto grunted, "It runs strong in the family."

"Will your baby be able to see Mikoto's red, too?" Anna asked.

"I'm hoping our child will actually inherit the flames," Kaori said honestly, "Wouldn't that be something?"

Mikoto nodded, "An heir, as I've been told."

Kaori smirked, "So you're aiming for a son, aren't you?"

"All men want a son," Mikoto looked at her with a small grin, "Unless your name is Tatara."

"I heard that!"

\- x -

"So Anna," Kaori sat on the side of the little strains bed and smiled while she watched her settle into her covers, "You've had quite the eventful day, young miss."

Anna nodded, "Akira told me that she's going to take me shopping tomorrow so I can buy a gift for Kiseki."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Kaori smiled.

Anna smiled back, "I want to be a good sister and Tatara said that this will be good practice for when you and Mikoto have a baby."

"I see," She giggled and grinned, "You'll be a fantastic older sister," Reaching over to her, she brushed some stray hairs from Anna's face with a nostalgic expression in her eyes, "It seems just like yesterday when you arrived at HOMRA."

Anna felt her cheeks heat up slightly, "Mikoto says that I've grown up a lot."

"You have," Kaori stroked her cheek, "You're on your way to becoming a lady now, Anna."

"Akira told me the same thing," Anna said with a tired smile.

Leaning down, Kaori pressed her lips to Anna's forehead, "Get some sleep now so you'll be rested and ready to find the perfect gift for Kiseki tomorrow," With a smile, she stood up and tucked Anna in before walking to her bedroom door. When she stopped to look back, she grinned at the fact Anna was already sleeping, "Goodnight, my little angel." 


	29. CH XXIX - Kosuke Fujishima - Shape of a Man's Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this particular chapter has a lot of derogatory language towards women, so if you're offended by that I apologize. The main OC is somewhat of a vigilante, so she gets tangled up in some bad business with some not very nice people if you catch my drift, hence the derogatory language!

"Eric, if you don't stop going on and on about what Kian made you for supper last night, I'm going to fucking lose it," Kosuke, who was usually very level headed and patient with the blond in front of him, felt as though he'd reached his boiling point.

Eric cast him a pitiful look, "I thought you enjoyed hearing how Kian and I are doing?"

"Normally I don't mind, but not every single day, Eric! I mean, I know more about her personal routine then I know about you," Kosuke glared, "You don't understand the concept of _too much_."

Eric's lips suddenly pulled into a sly smirk, "Could it be that Fujishima is a little jealous? You can be honest."

"..." Kosuke turned to face his blond partner with a completely blank expression, "I'd rather cut off my own dick and feed it to a dog than to get all lovey-dovey, kiss-kiss like you and Kian are."

Eric huffed, "You don't have to be rude about it."

Kosuke broke into a small smile and chuckled, "You're right, I'm sorry. Just tone it down, okay?"

"Fine," Eric flagged his hand as if to dismiss the older of the two.

...

On their way back to the small apartment both Kosuke and Eric occupied when they had downtime, Eric received a somewhat worried phone call from Kian and took off to go to her aid, leaving Kosuke to stand there and stare.

With a shake of his head, Kosuke continued his walk until he was minutes away from the apartment building. Deciding for a change in plan, he made a left turn and headed down the street towards a small section of home-owned small businesses to see what would pick his interest for dinner.

"Hello, Kosuke!" An elder man greeted him as he walked in, "Will it be the usual today?"

Kosuke smiled and nodded his hello as he walked to the counter, "How about a number four instead? I'm feeling a little dangerous today."

The elder man nodded and punched in his order before handing it to one of the kitchen help. He engaged Kosuke in idle chit chat until his food was ready, and waved him off when he'd offered the man his money.

"You come here often enough and are always prompt, so don't worry about it," He grinned and waved as Kosuke bowed several times before leaving.

On his way home, he noticed there were several guys that went into an alley with smirks on their faces. Normally, Kosuke wouldn't have minded if it didn't involve HOMRA, but today it seemed to capture his curiosity. With his brows furrowed, he tightened his grip on the plastic handles to his bag and walked towards the alley. When he got to the entrance, what he saw made his eyes go wide.

Surrounded by the men that had gone in was one petite young woman, most likely around his age, that had her back against a wall and was breathing heavily with wide, uniquely colored purple eyes. She was quickly looking from face to face and Kosuke could see her arms trembling even against the solid brick wall. Her short dark hair was sticking to the flesh of her forehead and the back of her neck

"Hello, beautiful," One guy smirked and reached for her, only to have his hand slapped away, "Hmm, she's got balls. I like that in my women."

The other guys standing with him chuckled and smirked, even as they watched their leader stand close enough that he was towering over the defenseless girl.

"So, do you have a name, honey?" He smirked down at her.

There was a moment in time were Kosuke felt his flames pulsate, but it was instantaneously gone when her hand shot out and pierced the man in the chest.

The men standing behind their boss went wide-eyed and backed up at the sight, watching a small smirk slowly spread on her face.

It was then that Kosuke realized that the girl wasn't just a girl, but a strain. A very powerful one at that.

When she ripped her arm out from the man's chest and watched him fall to the ground, she turned and looked at his companions with the same smirk, "Which one of you boys would like to play now?"

Kosuke stood still as they all ran screaming from the alley, watching them as they shoved passed each other to put as much distance between themselves and this girl as possible. When he turned back around to the scene, she was right in front of him looking up at him with a neutral look on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Her brow rose, "You're neither a predator or a cruel man, so what business do you have here?"

Kosuke frowned, "I came to see what was going on and was going to offer my help but you seemed to have taken care of the situation yourself," He dug into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a handkerchief, "Here."

She blinked and looked at the piece of cloth in his hand, "Why?"

"It wouldn't be good for you to walk out of this alley with blood on your hand," Kosuke pointed out, "My apartment is nearby if you wanted to clean up and then head home?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Do you think that by offering me this piece of material that you've got an instant ticket into my pants?"

Kosuke's brow twitched, "No, I'm just trying to be polite."

"I don't need your help," She shoved passed him and made her way out into the open.

He turned to watch her for a moment and sighed, "Why do some women have to be so difficult?"

When he turned to leave the alley, he'd noticed that she had taken the cloth from his hand.

"Don't need my help, do you?" A small smile pulled at his lips.

\- x -

Two days later, a similar incident was published all of the news about another strange murder in an undisclosed alley outside of a small section of the city. This had caught Kosuke's attention since he'd been a witness to a previous murder very similar to the one they were currently showing on the television, and even more so when they'd stated that it was either sexual predators or drug dealers that were being targeted. It made his belly drop when it was later revealed there were a total of seven deaths so far, but no one had any leads on who was behind it all.

"Good," Reina huffed and crossed her arms, "About time someone gets all those sick perverts."

Yata nodded and slung his arm over her shoulders, "No kidding. Let's just hope that the person responsible doesn't get caught by the Blue's, though."

"I doubt they'll be the ones to get involved in a murder case," Kusanagi looked over to them, "Unless there's evidence that suggests it was supernatural, then Scepter 4 won't be involved."

Kaori looked over at the screen as she exited the kitchen with a platter in her hands, "Are you guys talking about those strange murders going on around town?"

"Yeah," Reina looked over, "Should we start watching for anything suspicious on our turf?"

Kaori shook her head, "Mikoto isn't worried about it, so to avoid any unnecessary work I'd just stick to the normal patrols."

"What if this person kills in our territory?" Yata frowned, "We have every right to kick their ass if that's the case, right?"

"That's true," Kaori giggled, "But until then, just keep things to a minimum. We don't need the investigation heading our way for whatever reason. Plus, you know how Mikoto gets when the Blue's get up his ass, so let's all avoid that, okay?"

Kaori walked over and set the platter on the table in front of Reina and Yata before heading back into the kitchen to help Akira with what she was doing, while Kosuke sat off to the side of the two on the couch with his mind wandering.

 _Could it have been that same girl from before?_ His brows furrowed, _If so, she's going to be in a lot of trouble if the Blue Clan catches on to her._

At that thought, he felt a jolt of guilt sting him from the inside-out. Would he be partially responsible if she got caught? He had found her and could have prevented her from killing that man and starting a chain reaction if it really was her doing these killings.

_I should go find her and warn her._

"What's got you so preoccupied?"

Kosuke blinked and looked over to Yata, who had his hand held out to offer a paper plate with two sandwiches on it for him, "What?"

"Is there something bothering you?" Yata's brow rose, "You usually don't get too bothered by this stuff, but since we started watching this shit on the news you've been way out in left field somewhere."

Kosuke took the plate and thanked him before setting it down on the table in front of him, "It's nothing. I just haven't been sleeping well."

"Having girl troubles, are you?" Reina pointed out.

His cheeks tinted a light pink, "What makes you say that?"

"It's obvious," She took a bite of her sandwich and grinned, "Besides, I'm a girl. It's programmed that we pick up on these things faster than you."

Yata grinned, "You finally get yourself a chick?"

"Nothing like that," Kosuke said slowly before he could stop himself.

"There's no shame in being gay, Kosuke," Reina blurted out with a charming smile, "I know several gay people I could introduce you to–"

"What?! NO, I'm straight!" Kosuke glared while Yata laughed hard, "The hell gave you that idea?!"

Reina held her hands up in a submissive state, "Sorry! I just assumed! Bad habit, I know!"

"Well, don't assume!" He snorted and looked away, "No, there's this one girl... She's in a bad place, and I just can't help the fact that I want to save her."

Yata calmed down long enough to hear his words before looking at him, "Is she in trouble?"

"You could say that," Kosuke sighed and stood up, "I'll be back later."

Reina and Yata watched as he exited the bar and turned to look at one another in confusion when Kusanagi chuckled softly, drawing their attention to the man across the room.

"He's got a heart of gold, that one," Kusanagi smiled, "I just hope this woman he likes doesn't break that part of him."

\- x -

Kosuke wandered the streets just on the outskirts of the Red Clan's territory, hoping to find some sort of lead as to where the mysterious girl from before might be. He would ask people from the underground that were walking in broad daylight if they'd come across a petite woman matching her description. He'd figured the best way to locate her was to go in the same social circles she could have been targeting, and eventually, he'd found a group of men that had been affected by one of her murders.

"Last I heard, the bitch was near the East district by those creepy bastards that are trafficking prostitutes from overseas," One guy said, "Are you hunting her down, too?"

Deciding to play along, Kosuke nodded, "She went after a good friend of mine so I'd like to return the favor."

"Heh," He smirked and took a haul off his cigarette, "Good luck. She's a sneaky little bitch."

Kosuke fought the urge to narrow his eyes at the man and took that as his sign to take off, so he thanked the man for his information before heading out on the hunt. Eventually, when he reached the last known area she'd been spotted in, he caught sight of a large group of men pulling someone into a vacant building. The individual in their grasp looked as though they were unconscious as they didn't move much and their head was hanging low and lolling underneath the burlap sack shoved on top of their head.

He slipped through one of the openings and managed to hide fairly well when the men shoved the unconscious person onto a metal chair and chained them up from their neck all the way down to their ankles. He could hear the snickers from several of the men and watched as they began to pull out a various selection of metal rods and bats, as well as a machete and two nine-inch long knives.

When the sack was pulled off the person's head, Kosuke's breath caught in his throat.

"Here she is," One of the guys smirked, "The little slut-faced bitch that's caused us some major problems. Shall we teach her a lesson, boys?"

"Yeah~" They all cooed out darkly, each grabbing a weapon and chuckling.

Knowing he had to wait until the last possible moment, Kosuke gripped a metal railing tightly and felt his entire forearm shake with anger.

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty!" The leader of the group smirked and kicked the chair hard enough to jolt the girl in her seat, "Hello, beautiful. How nice of you to join us."

Her purple eyes went wide for a split second before narrowing at each and every one of the men, "You're making a big mistake, I hope you realize that."

"Boldly spoken for someone strapped down like an animal caught in a trap," He chuckled and bounced the metal bat in his hand off his shoulder tauntingly, "We injected you with a new substance my men have been working on to temporarily disarm whatever it is that gives you that freakish strength."

She shifted slightly a flexed one of her hands, instantly grimacing and muttered something to herself at her confirmation of the man's words, "Is that so? Well then, have at 'er, boys."

"You think being compliant will grant you mercy?" He smirked and leaned down to face her eye to eye, "We're going to take our time with you and make sure you understand the gravity of the situation you're in. You see, you hurt my business by killing my men. They were some of my best guys, and they were like brothers, you see."

She eyed him with narrowed purple orbs, "You think I care?"

"You should," He leaned closer so he was merely a few inches away, "Because we'll be enjoying this, and we hope you do too."

She flinched and looked away from him, "Mind stepping back? Your breath wreaks."

Kosuke almost lunged forward when the bat he was holding was swung and gave a hard strike across her face with a sickening crack. The guys all laughed and watched as her head spun so far back it was almost passed the safe point before it would snap.

"I wouldn't be insulting anyone if I were you," The man chuckled darkly, "Although, the more you do the nicer I'll be. So go on, say whatever it is you want."

Kosuke watched as she spat out a huge wad of blood from her mouth before looking up at the man with her own smirk, "Is that it? I'm disappointed. Here I thought the branch member of the Yakuza would have more to offer to little 'ol me."

"Don't worry, we have all night doll," He chuckled and motioned to his men to step forward, "Just don't pass out on us, okay?"

He could hear a lofty giggle come from her as she gave him a look of defiance, "I'm not so worried about me passing out, as I am about you all losing interest when you get nowhere."

Another crack of metal to bone was heard as she shot forward on the impact of another bat to the back of her head. Kosuke watched in agony as the blood trickled down the exposed flesh of her neck from the wound on the back of her skull and felt his aura rising.

"I wonder how tough you'll be once you're bleeding and broken," The leader taunted, "Should we spread those legs of your and find out what exactly it is you're capable of?"

Slowly, she looked up at him and smiled, "Go fuck yourself."

"I'd rather fuck you," He returned her smile with a smirk, "Boys, incapacitate her enough so I can release the clamps on her ankles. I want to have some fun with her and make her scream before we kill her."

That was enough to make Kosuke's temper escalate to the boiling point.

He was seconds away from revealing himself when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Hastily, he whipped his head back to look at who had found him and noticed it was Yata. Behind him, Reina stood watching the scene unfolding and had a look of disgust on her face as she watched the men beating the girl bound to the metal chair.

"We got worried when we tried to call and you didn't answer, so we had Anna find you," Yata whispered and looked over to the men slamming their bats into the petite woman, "Not saying you aren't capable of doing this on your own, but you don't need to lose yourself over this situation so we're here for back up."

Kosuke took a moment to inhale a shaky breath before exhaling slowly, "Thanks, guys."

"How do you want to go about doing this?" Reina kept her eyes on the scene, feeling her own blood boil as she watched them attack the girl, "Can we just go in and destroy them?"

"Sounds good to me," Yata cracked his knuckles, "What do you say, Kosuke?"

Knowing how the girl reacted the last time he'd seen her and offered his assistance, she wouldn't be happy with him when she realized they were here to save her.

"Let's just get this over with."

...

It seemed like an eternity while the Yakuza men beat into her with their weapons. She would have been able to deal with the pain had they not been so messy and hit her without precision. She could already tell that her left knee was shot and that the right side of her collarbone was broken. Her spine had taken minimal damage due to the back of the chair cushioning all of the blows aimed for there, but she could already tell that one more blow to the base of her neck would paralyze her from the base down if they kept things up.

Not to mention all of the bruises and bleeding she was experiencing from both of her arms and the possible internal bleeding from the blows they'd given her to the stomach and sides.

She'd blocked out most of the pain they were inflicting on her, but when it came down to her lower body hurt too much to even threaten to kick their leader, she felt her pride shrivel up as he reached for her shorts.

He's just managed to unzip her shorts to remove them from her when the sound of a metal bat hit the ground to announce its entrance.

"Hey, fuck face!"

Slowly, she turned her head to look over in the direction of the voice and immediately noticed the man from before standing there with a shorter male in a white long-sleeved shirt and green Capri shorts and a young girl in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of short-shorts.

"Hmm, look what we have here, boys," The man smirked, "HOMRA has entered the building. Have fun with them, boys."

"That little lady they have with them looks delectable," One guy smirked and licked his lips, "Can we have her, too?"

The leader chuckled and nodded, "Of course."

She watched the girl bristle and guy beside her snarl angrily, "Think you'll actually lay a hand on my girlfriend? Think again, fucker!"

The boy charged forward with his weapon raised when suddenly it was consumed by flames.

Her purple eyes went slightly wide as she watched both the familiar boy and the girl also burst into pink flames, lunging forward to pummel the men into the floor.

She couldn't help but notice that the one wearing the beanie and the girl made sure to take care of each other, always having their backs together so they had each other covered. The guy that she'd encountered before was attacking the Yakuza's branch leader, throwing punch after punch with his flame-engulfed fist.

With each hit, she could hear a similar cracking sound from the ones her own body made on impact.

"So her valiant knight in shining armor has come to save her," He smirked while Kosuke had pulled him up off the ground by the front of his shirt, "Think that this will be the end of the attacks against her? If you kill me, there will be more men that will come after her. She messed with the Yakuza, HOMRA douche bag. She's a target and we won't stop until she's dead and gone, even if we have to go through that monster you call a King to do it."

Kosuke stared down at him, "Obviously she had reason to do the things she did."

It was then, that Kosuke slammed the branch leader into the ground hard enough to split his skull.

\- x -

Reina helped the fragile girl stand as she supported her with an arm wrapped around her waist and the other over her shoulder, "We've got you," She gave Yata a nod of appreciation when he went to the girl's other side and gently pulled her arm over his shoulders to help support her.

"I didn't ask for help..." Came the weak response, "The drug was almost worn off..."

"What drug?" Reina frowned.

Kosuke walked forward, "She's a strain. They injected her with something to temporarily disarm her power so that she was basically a human girl."

"That's horrible!" Reina felt her heartbreak, "How could they do this to her?!"

The girl narrowed her eyes at the ground while her rescuers talked and explained what had gone on, feeling her body quake with emotion. She didn't know whether to be thankful that that strange man from before had followed her and found her, or to be angry with the three for stepping into her business where their noses didn't belong.

"Let's get her to the bar and get her cleaned up," Reina took a step forward but Kosuke held his hand up to stop her, "Kosuke?"

Yata watched as his fellow-clansman walked to them and slowly reached around the girl's waist so he could pull her closer to him before leaning down to lift her up by the backs of her knees. Yata and Reina had released her arms as Kosuke was picked her up, leaving her to fold them loosely over her stomach.

Needless to say, the walk back to the bar had been sufficiently awkward as no one said a word. Even after they'd all arrived, no one said a word.

Kosuke sat off to the side while Kaori and Akira tended to the girl's wounds, having decided to keep him in the room for some sort of sense of familiarity for the newcomer. Kaori had managed to securely wrap her ribs and brace her collarbone. She'd managed to make a brace for her knee while Akira tended to her open wounds that were still bleeding.

"There," Kaori stepped back and smiled softly, "That should do it. We have some crutches that one of the boys needed a while back that should do the trick for you when your collarbone is in better shape. It's definitely not broken, but it's not exactly in good shape either."

Her purple eyes gazed up at the woman as the girl frowned, "You don't even know me and you're helping me?"

"Despite what people think, HOMRA isn't full of cruel people," Kaori knelt down so she was face to face with the girl, "We're a family, and when one of our own is worrisome we pick up on that. Kosuke has been worried sick about you, and when he took off our second in command, Izumo, had Reina and Yata trail him."

"What does that have to do with me?" Her purple eyes narrowed, "I never asked for their help."

Kaori smiled, "You may not have asked for their help, but knowing Kosuke the way I do, he would have helped you either way."

The girl watched as Kaori and Akira packed up the first aid kit and left the room after giving Kosuke a knowing look, leaving the two alone.

"Why were you following me?" She didn't look at him when she spoke.

Kosuke stood up from his seat and grabbed the back of it so he could bring it over to where she was, sitting it down in front of her, "You know, when someone comes to help you, it's common courtesy to thank them for what they've done."

"Is that what this is about?" He eyes narrowed up at him, "You're expecting gratitude?"

Kosuke sighed, "You're like a female version of Eric..." Running his hands through his spiked tresses, he met her eye and smiled small, "I figured when I watched the broadcast about the murders, it was you so I wanted to be the one to catch you instead of them. You don't seem like someone who would maliciously hunt people down."

"No," Her gaze wavered ever so slightly, "I had a reason for why I was hunting those bastards down."

Kosuke nodded, "Mind sharing?"

"Do I have a choice?" She scoffed slightly and winced when she sat back against the sofa chair the girls had set her in after tending to her wounds, "My mother was a branch leader's wife. She gave birth to two children fathered by him, my oldest being my brother Ryoku and my sister being Katsuya. When she got pregnant with me, it was by accident when her husband was away on a business trip to China's enemy clan."

He sat back in his seat and nodded, "Your father was a strain?"

"Yes," She looked over to the window with her brows furrowed, "Never got to meet the guy, but the man who played the role as my father taught me that most men are ruthless bastards that don't have any remorse or compassion."

Kosuke frowned, not entirely knowing how to respond to her words.

"I don't need your sympathy," She glanced over to him, "It's in your eyes, so stop thinking that way. I'm twenty-one years old and have been on my own since I was six, so save your breath."

Kosuke looked at her and nodded slowly, "Well, then," He stood up and crossed the few feet between them and offered his hand, "My name is Kosuke Fujishima, and I would like to offer you my friendship."

"Huh?" She looked up at him as if she didn't know what he was saying, "Why?"

He gave her a smile, "Everyone needs a friend, or at least someone they know will always have their back."

It was something in the way he smiled at her and the look of honesty in his eyes that made her realize that she'd found someone worth talking to. It made the wall she had built and perfected her entire life slowly crack, giving her the opportunity to actually feel as though she could smile again.

It startled her, but she felt as though she could welcome the foreign feeling with open arms.

"I see," She eyed his hand for a moment before reaching out her left hand to place it in his own, "Mia Yumanaki. I still don't trust you, by the way."

Kosuke gave her hand a gentle shake, "Nice to officially meet, Mia," His lips tugged into a small grin, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	30. CH XXX - Reisi Munakata (III) - In Those Moments

"Ngh~" Eri's eyes lidded and her back arched as Munakata's tongue continued to touch her in the most intimate of places, "R-Reisi..."

"Hmm?" He hummed against her skin, his eyes locking onto her form from his spot lower down her body, "Shall I stop?"

Eri lifted her head to look at him, her face flush and her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Reisi smiled and reached a hand up to stroke her cheek gently in reassurance, knowing how awkward this position could be for the first time.

He planted a kiss atop her pubic bone before leaving butterfly kisses leading from her lower stomach up to the valley of her breasts until his entire form was covering her own. He could feel her shudder underneath him with every brush of his skin against her own. He could feel her when her breath hitched and her chest stopped moving, leaving the peaks of her breasts pressed against his solid chest. Even down to the way her inner thighs would run up his own upper thighs and hips, right to the way her fingertips would dig into his shoulders whenever he hit the spot that would make her come apart.

"My dear, you're trembling," He nuzzled under the crook of her neck gently with his nose, "Have I done something wrong?"

Eri brought a hand up to lace her fingers in his navy tresses, "No," She gasped when his teeth nipped her jugular, "I..."

"What is it?" He pulled away and looked down into her eyes, "If there is something, you must tell me what it is you want."

That made her blush deeply, "You know, I hate it when you say things like that."

"I know," He chuckled deeply and gave her a teasing grin, "Why so shy? This isn't our first time together, so you should be comfortable when expressing what it is you want me to do."

Eri bit her bottom lip, "I didn't expect you to do _that_."

"Ah, so that's what this is about," He stroked her cheek gently, "Just another way for me to make you feel good."

She felt a wave of heat crash in her lower extremities at that, "Reisi..."

"Yes?" His fingers trailed down to her stomach towards her core to tease her more.

Eri shivered with the brushing of his fingertips dancing over her skin, "Make love to me."

Reisi smiled at this, "As you wish."

A gasp escaped Eri's lips as Munakata's fingers tickled at her most sensitive area before breaching the barrier to prepare her. Her back arched while his digits worked their magic, as his lips pressed against hers to muffle the sound she was making from his actions. Eri brought her hands up to grasp the back of his neck and run her fingers through his hair as they shared a passionate kiss together, even as his body shifted to position.

As he pulled away from her lips to catch his breath, his hand slipped from her core to cradle the side of her hips when suddenly replaced his fingers with the tip of his length. With one quick motion, Eri's eyes closed as she succumbed to the blissful ache of him filling her completely and let her body chyme with passion.

When her eyes were closed, she could see all of the aura's from her heritage dance around a transparent version of herself while a comforting blue aura embraced the entirety of it all. It was euphoric in the sense that she felt every little inch of the man connected to her. It was as if his inner essence was stroking her own as they moved together as one.

She could practically taste the ice that surrounded the two in blue aura, only to intensify with every lick a flickering whim would give her.

"Eri," She could hear his deep voice whisper so close to her ear and could feel his breath tickling her flesh, "You look beautiful."

She could feel her toes curl and her fingers grip his hair tighter as her head lolled back, "R-Reisi..."

Eri could feel the excruciating sensation of her internal meter steadily rising to the peak where it would leave her weightless and floating in a cloud of blue. The more Munakata's hips met her own, the closer she could feel herself slipping into that comforting abyss.

Harder and harder he shifted, thrusting deeply into her own blue aura and reveled in the sensations when his own was grasped by hers. It was beyond the touch of flesh, and it was unlike anything Munakata had ever imagined before experiencing it for the very first time. Little did he know at the time, that it would only leave him craving for more like a hunger that could not be satiated.

A loud cry of pleasure brought him back to reality, watching as his lovers back arched up into his chest and her eyes closed tightly. He could feel her knees clench together against his sides and enjoyed how her muscle spasms with every electric touch he continued to give her.

Knowing her entire body would be hypersensitive at this point, Reisi took the opportunity to reach a hand down and grasp underneath her knee to bring it up higher, propping it over his shoulder so he could dig deeper towards her core to complete his own desire for release. Her loud moans echoed in his ear and her begging form beneath him pushed him closer and closer to the point where he knew he would be driven mad.

Swiftly, like a jolt it came and claimed him much like Eri, leaving his body feeling light and shaking with delight. He could feel his arms that had originally supported him begin to shake in their weakened state, allowing him to collapse against Eri who had been ready and now held him so close. He remained there and closed his eyes, pressing his face into the side of her own to enjoy the embrace. Eri, too, closed her eyes and inhaled the musky scent that was Munakata, savoring this moment for as long as she possibly could before he had to go.

"I love you," Eri bit her bottom lip, not knowing how the Blue King would react to her declaration.

True, the two had passionate intimacy several times together and knew they had a mutual appeal to one another, but no words of affection had ever been exchanged vocally. It had been shown through the friction of their bodies melting together and the way Munakata would whisper words into her ear to make her core burn with delight.

But, this was different.

Munakata took a moment to collect himself before shifting so he could lift himself up high enough so his eyes could lock onto her own, "Is that so?" A smile slowly crept onto his face, "I love you, as well, Miss Chiharu."

She felt her cheeks heat up, "You do?" She smiled brightly and brought a hand up to stroke his cheek gently, "Good."

Munakata chuckled at her and leaned down to press his lips against her's gently, "Get some rest, Eri," he laid back down and pulled her with him so she could lay against his chest, "Tomorrow will be a busy day."


	31. CH XXXI - Adolf K. Weissman / Yashiro Isana (II) - Decisions, Decisions

Blake sighed in aggravation as she rubbed her temples. The Usagi had pounded several months' worth of information into her head in one hour, all the while expecting her to retain it. It went from government issues to why she was the one protecting the slates.

It had been two weeks after she'd become the Gold King that there had been an attack headed by the Green and Gray King's to obtain the slates in order to share the power worldwide. She had managed to ward off the two King's on her own but was thankful when Shiro had arrived with Munakata, to help her.

Now, Blake saw the potential in their ideals but agreed with the Silver King in order to protect the world from the chaos of instability.

"The Silver King, Adolf K. Weissman, has arrived," One of her men appeared beside her to inform her, abruptly snapping her out of her thoughts, "I will let him in."

Blake nodded and smiled, "Okay, thanks!"

She looked over to the front of the room as Shiro walked through the doors; the signature white suit adorning his tall, slender figure and the red paper parasol perched on his left shoulder.

"Hey Shiro," She stood up from her seat and walked over to greet him, "What brings you all here?"

Shiro returned her smile, "Well, Kuroh and Neko are running an errand for me so I figured while I was in town I would stop by to see how you were doing."

"How kind of you," She looked up at him, "About the other day..."

He waved her off and gave her a closed-eyed smile, "Don't sweat it. No King has to take on the responsibility of fighting against two or more Kings on their own," He looked down at her, "You did quite well. You're learning really fast how to fight in the Usagi's style as well as how to manipulate your powers as the Gold King."

"It's been tough, that's for sure," Blake sighed and motioned for him to follow her, leading him to her desk and took her original seat, "They haven't been gentle about easing me into their fighting style, so I've had to learn quickly so I don't get my ass kicked every day."

Shiro chuckled, "The lieutenant said something very similar to that effect to me one day when we were discussing the possibilities of the slate," He smiled and had a fond look in his eyes, "How do you find your stamina is for accessing the Gold sanctum?"

"Not as bad as I was the very first time I'd exerted a large amount of energy," Blake sat back in her seat, "The captain of the Usagi has taught me how to incorporate my Gold energy into my attacks, so I've slowly been growing accustomed to integrating it into large quantities."

She watched him nod, "I see. Well, that's good. At least when it comes down to another fight like the one you'd just experienced between Kings, you won't tire so easily. After all, you have a very important position to maintain now."

Blake groaned and ran a hand down her face, "Ugh... Don't remind me!"

"It'll get better," Shiro chuckled, "But, aside from all of that, I actually wanted to check up on you and also take you out for lunch," When Blake looked at him with slightly wide eyes, he smiled, "I figured since you've been cooped up in here for what seems like months, it would be good to get you out and into the fresh air."

"Shiro, you're a lifesaver!" Blake exclaimed happily.

...

The two made their way out of the building's main floor after instructing the Usagi to take care of the place while she was gone, as Shiro lead her by the hand along the sidewalks towards a small section of town that had fantastic foreign meals. They made their around the area and eventually stopped quickly at a shop that served German food and decided to pick up a few pastries to go.

"Your uncle often stopped by that place to enjoy the memories whenever he'd eat the food," Shiro smiled, "What do you think?"

Blake had taken a bite of her pastry and smiled brightly, "This is delicious! What's it called?"

" _Buchteln*_ ," Shiro said slowly so Blake could repeat the word, "I bought you the ones that are filled with a flavored jam instead of the how I usually eat them."

Blake nodded and smiled, "These seem like they'd be easy to make."

"They are," Shiro chuckled and pulled her towards another direction, "You know, I taught your uncle Joji how to speak German. I could teach you too if you'd like?"

Blakes' eyes went wide, "Really? That would be a great help, Shiro. He wrote a lot of his notes in German so I can't decipher whether or not they're important."

"Well, I'd be more than happy to help," He smiled down at her.

The two eventually ended up near the Red district, walking down the street leading towards a familiar bar that Shiro himself had never stepped foot in.

"I know you met the Blue King, Reisi Munakata," He looked at her with a reassuring gaze, "But I think you'll enjoy the Red Clan better. They're a lot more laid back and friendly than the Blue Clan was."

Blake nodded and gripped his hand a little tighter, "You've met them before?"

Shiro gave an uneasy chuckle, "Well, they did suspect me as a King that had attacked one of their clansmen before the whole issue with the Colorless King finally came to a close, but after that Mikoto Suoh and I worked out an agreement. We're not in an alliance, but we've both agreed to offer assistance should one of the clans be targeted."

"That's very kind of you," Blake smiled, "Should I extend the same offer?"

Shiro smiled, "You certainly can if you'd like, although your position as the Gold King makes it a little difficult for you to do so," He watched her sigh, "You and I are the King's that maintain the balance and peace between all of the remaining King's, so having a healthy knowledge of who each one is will be important."

Blake nodded and allowed Shiro to lead her up the steps and through the door when he had opened it with a twist of his wrist. On the inside, it was a rather beautifully put together place that didn't feel like a bar, but rather an expensive restaurant. She noticed that there were only three people in the main area excluding them, and felt their eyes on her when the Silver King brought her up to a man with red hair who had been occupying a leather sofa. There was a young girl with white hair sitting beside him, looking up at her with huge crimson orbs.

"Red King, Mikoto Suoh," He motioned to Blake, "I would like to introduce you to the new Gold King, Blake Tadashi."

The man named Mikoto eyed her for a moment before shifting and rising to his feet, "Is that so? I didn't think we'd have a Gold King that fast."

"Well, I'm partially to blame for that," Shiro chuckled as another Red clansman, Kusanagi, joined them, "You see, when Daikaku Kokujoji passed away, he left instructions for me to find his niece and help her in any way that she needed it."

Kusanagi exhaled the smoke he'd ingested and smiled at Blake, "So you decided to become the King of all King's, eh?"

"Well, when Shiro brought me to the slates, they chose me," Blake smiled fondly at the memory, "I saw my uncle, and I knew I couldn't turn away from what he'd dedicated his entire life to protect."

The bartender nodded, "He's lucky to have a successor who believes in his same virtues."

"Thanks," Blake looked at him before looking back at Mikoto, "It's nice to formally meet the Red Clan, though. I've already encountered the Blue, Green and Gray King's, but I must say you guys definitely give off the most comforting feeling."

"Well I'd hope so," Kusanagi chuckled, "We're more tightly bound to one another than the others. It's more than just work and play with us. Isn't that right, Mikoto?"

Mikoto grunted and pulled a hand out from his pocket, "Blake Tadashi, is it? Nice to meet you," She accepted his hand, "Same offer is extended to you that I gave to the Silver Clan."

"Thank you," She smiled softly, "Hopefully it won't come down to the point where I'll need to call in that favor, though."

Kusanagi chuckled, "Well from what I've heard, you gave the Green and Gray King's a run for their money."

Blake suddenly grinned and puffed her chest out proudly, "Damn right!"

Shiro chuckled, "Munakata and I got there in time to see the Green King on the ground and she had the Gray King pretty worn down, so she really didn't need the help."

"My uncle is responsible for that," Blake giggled, "He made sure I could hold my own against any opponent."

"That's good," Mikoto looked down at her, "You're a King, so don't let any of the others push you around."

Blake smiled, "Trust me, I won't! Especially that Munakata," She looked at Shiro, "That man needs to have the stick shoved up his ass removed because all he wanted to do was push me aside and take over."

Shiro grinned and chuckled, "Yeah, the Blue King is special."

"He's an ass," Mikoto added, "But he's a good sparring partner if you're looking for one."

Blake laughed, "I'm more of a hand-to-hand kinda gal, not fighting with sticks."

Kusanagi grinned and chuckled, enjoying the personality of their new Gold King.

After politely declining the offer to stay for a meal, Shiro and Blake started making their way back to the main building so she could continue with her work. They walked together in comfortable silence for a while, when Shiro's hand found hers.

"I'm proud of you," He smiled down at her, "You're really coming into your own position."

Blake felt her cheeks heat up, "What makes you say that?"

"To be honest, I've had the captain of the Usagi report to me so that I know how everything is going," Shiro admitted, "I didn't want you to become overwhelmed and think that you were on your own, so I've been silently keeping an eye on you to make sure everything flows smoothly."

Blake smiled softly, "That's very kind of you, Shiro."

"I try," He chuckled, "Blake, there's also been something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Oh?" She blinked, "Like what?"

Shiro smiled but his cheeks tinted (much to his dismay), "Well, I was wondering if you would give me the pleasure of accompanying me on a date sometime?"

"Shiro!" She felt her face heat up, "I didn't think Kings were supposed to date!"

He shrugged, "Well, they're not but who says I've been one to follow rules?" When he winked and she blushed more he smiled, "Titles aside, what do you say?"

"I'd love to," She smiled back at him but faltered slightly, "But what about Neko?"

Shiro blinked and smiled, "Neko understands, don't worry. It was her idea, actually."

"Really?" Blake stared up at him with a disbelieving look, "Wow... I really must thank her next time I see her."

Shiro chuckled, "We can go and see her and Kuroh now if you'd like? You can meet the newest addition to the Silver Clan, too."

"You have a new clansman?" Blake smiled, "What's their name?"

"Her name is Kiyomi Wantanabe, and I think her and Kuroh are secretly an item," Shiro gave her a goofy grin, "Neko really likes the fact she's not the only girl in the clan, too."

Blake giggled, "That doesn't surprise me. Now she has some help to keep you two boys in line!"

"Hey, come on now," Shiro poked her cheek, "That's not nice."

Blake grinned at him and shrugged, "Truth hurts?"

"Just to be clear, I'm also called an 'old man', not a kid," He winked.

Blake feigned shocked, "You mean, I'll be dating a young boy who is secretly an old man who is close to pushing one hundred? Oh, no!"

Shiro chuckled and smiled, leading her in the direction of their current living arrangements.

"So, you guys still live in that room at the school?" Blake looked at Shiro as they slipped passed the admission gates to Ashinaka and went into the side door, "How come you guys don't go elsewhere?"

Shiro shrugged, "Miss Kukuri Yukizome made it so that the room is noted as occupied in the system, so we have free access to it as long as we don't cause a disturbance. In return, I protect the school from any supernatural forces and from the other King's that could possibly invade."

"That's very kind of you," Blake looked up at him, "And quite the responsibility. There are so many students here and this place is so huge, it's like your own full-time job."

Shiro chuckled, "No kidding."

As they got to the male dorms, Shiro gave Blake's hand a reassuring squeeze before leading her up to his room.

_"Neko, do you know what manners actually are?!"_

_"Don't be so mean, Kuroh! She's just having fun."_

_"Yeah! Don't be such a meany!"_

Blake looked up at Shiro and giggled, "Does this happen often?"

"Oh yes," Shiro sighed before chuckling, "Quite the lively bunch, they are. Come on in."

Blake followed him inside and walked behind him as they passed the kitchen area to the main room, where she laid eyes on three people. Having only met Kuroh before, looked over in her direction and smiled at her.

"Ah, miss Blake, how nice to see you again," Kuroh nodded in her direction.

Blake smiled and waved before looking at the two girls, "Hello."

"So you're the new Gold King," A pretty young girl turned to look at her and smiled, "I'm Kiyomi."

"And I'm Neko!" Neko hopped up and pranced over to Shiro.

Blake smiled at everyone, "It's nice to meet you all, but please, just call me Blake. No need to stand on formalities, really!"

"Sure," Kiyomi smiled, standing up and walking over with Kuroh, "How does it feel to be the most powerful woman in the country?"

Blake deadpanned, "Please don't remind me..."

Kiyomi blinked and grinned, "Tough, eh?"

"Very," Blake sighed, "But, Shiro's been a huge help."

Kuroh nodded with a smile, "He's said a lot about you and has quite a lot of faith in your abilities."

"Well, I don't know about my social standing and how I'm going to manage every political and economic power in Japan, but I've already kicked two Kings' asses so I'm on a roll I'd say," Blake grinned.

Neko grinned brightly, "That's because us ladies rock!"

"That's right!" Blake gave her the thumbs up.

Kiyomi watched the young Gold King with a questioning look, not entirely sure what to make of her. She watched how their own Silver King looked down at her with such appreciation, wondering if he had some sort of attraction to her with all duties aside.

"Kuroh," She leaned close to him and whispered, "Are they an item?"

Kuroh looked at Kiyomi, "I'm not entirely sure. It's unheard of and extremely uncommon for King's to be affectionate to those outside of their clans, but there hasn't been a female King before, so there's no certainty on what could happen if it were true."

"What do you think of her?" She looked up at him, "Do you think she's the right choice? She seems so much like..."

"Like our King?" He chuckled softly, "The previous Gold King was all authority and dedication to his job. I feel like Blake is a good change of pace and will bring her own change to Japan."

Kiyomi nodded slowly and looked at her, "I hope so. If she's anything like Shiro, we may all be doomed."

Kuroh knew that Kiyomi's words were meant to be spoken in a humorous way, but he couldn't help but agree. Perhaps Blake was too young? Would she take all of her duties seriously? When he questioned Shiro, he seemed to believe she was more than capable of following Daikaku Kokujoji's footsteps.

"Shiro," Neko looked at him, "Where are you going?"

Shiro had left Blake to stand and wait with his clansman while he slipped another blazer on, "I'm going to take Blake home," He looked at her, "Will you all be alright until I get back?"

Knowing that he was referring to earlier before they'd arrived, Neko grinned and nodded with her hands on her hips, "I'll make sure Kuroh isn't mean!"

"Now wait a second," Kuroh narrowed his eyes slightly, "Since when am I the problem?"

Neko smirked, "Since I'm Shiro's favorite."

Kiyomi grinned, "She has a point."

"Don't take her side!" Kuroh looked at Kiyomi incredulously.

Kiyomi shrugged, "Us girls have to stick together," She looked at Neko for a moment before finally looking at Blake, "Right?"

"Right," Blake smiled, "If we don't, you boys would walk all over us!"

Kuroh sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, unbelieving to the fact they were having this conversation.

"Alright, let's go," Shiro walked up to Blake before looking at the others, "I'll be back later on, so please don't fight among each other."

"No promises," Kuroh muttered under his breath, receiving a light smack on the arm from Kiyomi and a hiss from Neko.

\- x -

"You've really done so much for me," Blake looked at him as they stood outside of her actual home instead of the building, "It means a lot to me, Shiro."

He smiled down at her and shrugged, "It's no problem at all, Blake. I look forward to the time we'll get to spend together in and out work."

"Me too," She smiled, "Tomorrow, then?"

He nodded, "Yes, tomorrow we'll start your lessons in German and I'll help you decipher those notes your uncle left behind."

Shiro stepped forward and placed a hand on her head, "Get some sleep," He smiled down at her before leaning forward to press his lips gently against her cheek, "I'll be here to pick you up in the morning."

"See you then," Blake grinned and watched as he walked to the middle of the walkway.

She watched as his body became engulfed in his Silver aura when he swung his now opened umbrella up before turning to face her. He gave her a soft smile before floating up into the air and heading into the direction of the school, leaving her there to wave up to him until his body disappeared from sight.

"That boy," She giggled and shook her head before entering her house, "He was just like uncle Joji said he'd be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * For those of you who don't know, buchteln are sweet rolls made of yeast dough that most of the times are filled with jam, ground poppy seeds or curd. Really, they're super fucking nummy is what they really are! I remember when my great grandmother visited from Germany before she got sick, and she made THE BEST buchteln rolls I've ever bloody tasted. My cousin and I ate so many we ruined supper, but it was worth it. ;)


	32. CH XXXII - Yo Chitose (II) - Restless Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally liked how this one turned out because I took a character that just oozed sex appeal, and gave her a different flavor of a personality. I hope y'all enjoy it!

It had been a rather long and tiring day when Rin finally got back to her apartment, slamming the door closed behind her and discarding her bag somewhere to be found the following day. She wandered to the kitchen and opened her liquor cabinet, pulling out a tall bottle filled with a mixed drink she'd prepared the previous weekend after her evening with Chitose.

"I hope to never encounter a man like him again," Rin muttered to herself before leaning her head back with the top of the bottle to her lips and took a rather large drink, "I know it was for a project my superiors had in mind, but it's definitely not worth it in my opinion."

"What happened?"

Rin almost dropped the bottle in her hand to the floor at the sound of Chitose's voice echoing in her kitchen, "Chitose?! How the hell did you get in here?"

"You gave me the spare key?" His brow rose, as he finally appeared to her while walking into the kitchen, "Said I could come here whenever I wanted some time away from my work."

It dawned on Rin that she had, in fact, said just that. So she relaxed and set the bottle on the counter to avoid messing her floors, "Oh, yes that's right," She sighed and ran a hand through her dark tresses, "I've been so stressed lately, I don't even know what day it is."

Chitose rounded the island so he was in front of her and cupped her face with both of his hands, "Well, you're working for two different people so you can gain enough experience to get funding for your own practice," Her eyes softened as she looked up at him, and soon her hands landed on top of his own, "Not saying you should quit one of the two, but maybe try taking on less instead of swamping yourself?" 

"Easier said than done," She ran her thumbs over the smooth top of his hands, "I have a lot of patients now that need frequent sessions. Some I have even need to be seen every day."

"Damn," He chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, "Well, if you're stressed, perhaps I can help you unwind?"

Rin's brow rose, "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

Chitose grinned, "Come with me."

When his hands fell from her face she allowed him to grasp onto one of her own and lead her down the hall towards the bedroom. When he opened the door, instead of going to the bed in the middle of the room he passed by that and walked her into the attached bathroom. She watched as he plugged the drain to the huge soaking tub and opened the valves, knowing the perfect temperature she usually preferred the water to be before adding one of her eucalyptus bath bombs as well as some Epson salts.

"Wow," She blinked and shifted so her weight was braced on her left leg, "What did I do to deserve such pampering?"

Chitose was still grinning, "Do I need a reason to dote on my stressed girlfriend?"

"I suppose not," She eyed him suspiciously, "Was this already planned out?

"You could say that," He walked over and opened the cabinet where she had mason jars filled with petals and slices of fresh lime and oranges to add to the bathwater, "Although I didn't expect you to come home and crack the purple haze open so soon."

Rin watched him empty the jar's contents into the bath and smiled small, "You really do know how I enjoy my special baths, don't you?"

"I do," He looked at her and smiled, "Contrary to popular belief, I _do_ pay attention when I need to."

She giggled softly when he cast a wink at her and shook her head, "Oh, Chitose..."

He watched as she turned and left to walk into the bedroom while pulling her shirt off and discarded it into her hamper. Next were her jeans, followed by both her bra and underwear. His eyes shamelessly wandered over her form, thoroughly enjoying the ample shape of her perky, round bottom and long toned legs. There was a tattoo that was on the back of her right thigh that always caught his eye, as well as the one in the middle of her back that was almost always hidden by her long hair.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Chitose walked to the door and leaned against the frame, watching her as she turned to face him fully after grabbing an oversize t-shirt and change of underwear, "If I have, it must not be enough."

Rin walked over to him, ignoring the way his eyes over her form and reached up to pat his face gently, "You tell me at least twice a day," Leaning forward, she kissed his jaw before walking back into the bathroom, "Are you joining me?"

"I am," He looked over his shoulder and watched her turn the faucet off, "I'll be right back."

Her eyes traveled over to him and watched as he quickly undressed, setting his clothing on the small black sofa chair she had off to the side of her bed that usually collected clothing instead of being used for its real purpose.

Not that she would admit aloud, she found it almost intimidating seeing him so exposed. They had only encountered each other in such an open matter once, and it had been under the minor influence of alcohol that gave them enough courage to undress and lay beside each other. That night, he didn't touch her nor try to force anything upon her, giving her the encouragement she needed to finally realize that she'd found someone that she could not only be intimate with but ultimately trust with her body.

She felt her cheeks heat up as he turned around and walked towards the bathroom, having to mentally force herself not to eye his groin as he neared the door.

"What?" He blinked, noticing the shy look wafting over her features, "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, it's nothing," She set her change of clothing aside before stepping into the tub as she tied her hair into a messy bun, "Coming?"

"Mm-hmm," He smiled and followed her in, remaining behind her when she tried to maneuver herself so her back would be against the tub, "Sit in front of me."

Rin looked back at him to protest, but he'd already sat himself down and was looking up at her, "Why?"

"Just trust me," He winked and reached up to take her hips, helping to guide her down so she was between his legs and had her back against his chest, "Just relax."

She did just that, enjoying the heat of the water and the feel of his bare flesh against her own. She could feel his chest rising and falling with each breath he took, and even catch the tingling sensations whenever he would breathe in her direction.

It was the first time in her entire life that she'd been so intimate with a man before; so exposed for him to see right through her.

Deciding to lean her head back, she felt Chitose shift slightly and gave her room to lay her head against his shoulder, "I knew there was a reason I was beginning to like you so much."

"Is that right?" He chuckled and slowly circled his arms around her waist, "Well, I take that as a compliment."

"You should because I don't give them very often or unless paid to provide one," She shot back in a teasing, humorous manner.

Chitose remained silent for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of holding her closely while the water covered the two like a warm and comforting blanket, "Sit forward for me," He loosened his grip on her waist and freed her from his hold as she did what she was instructed to do, "As I said earlier, just relax."

Rin almost let out a throaty moan when his fingers began working her shoulders, messaging deeply against the muscles to help relieve their tension. She closed her eyes and leaned back slightly against his touch, biting her bottom lip when his thumbs would grind ever so perfectly against her skin.

"Now I really do have to ask," Rin sighed contently, "What did I do to deserve this?"

Chitose's hands began moving down lower and soon he was working the muscles of her middle back, "Again," He leaned forward and to kiss the back of her neck, just barely letting lips touch her flesh to cause a shiver to run down her spine, "Do I need a reason to dote on you?"

Rin's face burned slightly red as a small moan escaped her lips as he continued his work, earning a chuckle from him as she looked off to the side with embarrassment.

"We've been together for a little over five weeks now," Chitose suddenly began, "Tell me something about you that I don't know?"

Rin looked back at him from over her shoulder, "You know pretty much everything."

"Hmm, I'd like to politely call bullshit," He smirked, "You're still so shy around me. There has to be a reason why that when I kiss you anywhere else but your face, you get all flustered."

He watched her look away and waited for her reply, "You want to know something about me that I didn't tell you?" He hummed his reply and he watched her shoulders rise and fall with a heavy breath, "You're my second boyfriend, but my first real relationship."

Chitose smiled at that and was about to make a comment when her words cut him off.

"And I'm a virgin," She bluntly stated, "I was too busy studying to ever think about boys and sex, and even after I graduated I had it in my head that most guys my age only thought of that. Come to think of it, I don't even remember having a healthy curiosity of my own body, either."

He blinked twice, "Wow, really?" She tensed against his hands but his chuckle made her relax, "Nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, I'm kind of glad, really."

"Why is that?" She looked back at him, "If this doesn't sound too rude, statistics say that most guys find that to be intimidating. So do half of the college girls I went to school with after having no choice but to listen to them ramble about the subject."

"Hell no," Chitose chuckled and leaned forward to rest his chin on top of her shoulder, "Don't listen to what any of those idiots say. Actually, I personally find your lack of experience to be endearing. It'll be a lot more passionate experience that will help us bond," He grinned at her, "Most guys you ask will tell you something similar, too."

Rin shifted so she could turn to look at him more clearly, "Listen to you, Chitose," She smiled small at the serious expression on his face, "Very bold of you to say."

"It's the truth," He brought a hand up to stroke her cheek, "Rin, I've been in so many meaningless, short relationships that were just all about sex... It's not worth it. There's no connection, and I haven't felt that way in a hell of a long time."

"Since your last real girlfriend, right?" She eyed him.

Chitose nodded, "Yeah, since her."

Rin eyed him carefully while he processed his thoughts for a moment before slowly reaching for his hand still touching her back, "Chitose..." He watched as she shifted and pressed her back against his chest, bringing his hand forward, "Can we try something?"

"Sure?" He watched her as he brought his hand closer to her lower half before she looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks red and her eyes looking to him to continue, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "I want to know what it feels like."

Chitose nodded slowly and smiled softly, wrapping his other arm around her to secure her against his chest before slowly brushing his fingers against her most sensitive spot. He felt her entire lower half convulse at just the tiniest of touches, smiling slightly at her reaction. When he delved deeper, he could feel a shudder take over her entire body as she slowly curled against his fingers.

"Shh, it's easier if you relax," Chitose whispered into her ear as he nuzzled the side of her head affectionately, "Just relax and take a deep breath."

Rin nodded slowly and bit her lip, allowing Chitose to work on his own accord. It felt surreal to be in the position she was now, with him exploring her body so gently in order to slowly build her up. The way her breathing became uneven as he swirled his thumb against her sensitive bundle of nerves or how her legs began to tremble with the foreign tingle pooling in her gut.

She gasped as Chitose pressed gentle kisses to her collar bone, taking advantage of the fact she'd laid her back against his shoulder once more while his arm loosened around her waist. She felt his hand travel up her body as a sly grin pulled at his lips. He caught her off guard as he nipped his way up her collar bone while taking one of her breasts into his hand, messaging the fleshy globe in a very sensual, stimulating way.

"Not that bad, is it?" He whispered teasingly in her ear, pressing his lips against the outer shell with a grin, "It gets better from here."

Rin shuddered against him and bravely brought her hand down to place over the one pleasuring her lower half, "Don't t-tease me..."

"This is the only time I'll be able to watch you come apart instead of you always seeing through me," Chitose drew his tongue out and slowly licked a soft spot on her neck before nipping gently, "I plan on taking my time and making your first experience one to remember."

Rin shuddered heavily at that, gasping loudly as he began brushing the tips of his fingers against a spot she'd never quite imagined. When he began to prod at her entrance, her back arched away from his chest and her breath hitched but he drew her back against him with a squeeze to her breast. Slowly but with precision, Chitose breached a wall no one else had ever been privy to before. He remained still for a moment to allow her to adjust before moving in a slow, steady pace.

She moaned softly and rocked against him, unconsciously signaling to him that she was ready for more and gasped as he worked his digits even faster than before. It was torturous, how he could stroke her insides with such a delightful feeling that couldn't be explained.

He worked her and worked her, using both of his hands to tease her in ways that could make her shudder in pleasure while running his lips up and down her neck and shoulder. With further inspection, one could see the many red marks left behind from his bites or the bruise that had begun to form on the middle of her collar bone.

It wasn't long before her breathing changed and she quickly came undone, curling around Chitose's hand and moaning as he milked her through her very first orgasm. With this he took his time, letting her enjoy the sensation of fireworks going off in her entire body.

"How was it?" He kissed the side of her head, "Think you'd enjoy the real thing?"

"I don't want to think about that right now," Rin caught her breath after a few moments before looking back at him, "At least let me catch my breath before you do something else."

Chitose chuckled and pulled his hand away from her lower extremities before circling both of his arms around her to hug her tightly against him, "I know," He smiled at her and enjoyed the look of lust that clouded her eyes, "I can wait as long as you need me to, so there's no rush."

"Good," She sighed and sunk back against him, "Because I don't think I could handle another wave of that so soon."


	33. CH XXXIII - Mikoto Suoh (ft. HOMRA) (III) - The Perfect Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did quite a bit of editing to this one. I had a lot of fun writing it back in the day, so I hope y'all enjoy it!

"With this ring, I pledge my life to you," Mikoto recited, his eyes trained on the woman in a stunning white gown with crimson detailing, "I promise to give your soul life and will forever keep your eternal flame burning bright."

The Silver King, Yashiro Isana himself, stood and watched the two with a smile on his face as he turned to Kaori and motioned for her to repeat the same vows.

In the group gathered to watch them, was the entire Red Clan and Silver Clan. It was Mikoto who had asked Shiro to preside over the wedding as their stand-in priest to avoid their small wedding from becoming public news.

Kaori smiled up at Mikoto with teary eyes, "With this ring, I pledge my life to you," She giggled when he shot her a teasing smirk and could hear the guys chuckling at her emphasized word, "I promise to give your soul life and will forever keep your eternal flame burning bright."

Shiro looked from one to the other, "Are there any personal words you would like to exchange before we proceed?"

"Actually, there is," Mikoto glanced at Shiro before looking back to his soon-to-be wife, "When I met you Kaori, you were a small girl with no pride in yourself. You were so unsure of the world around you it almost seemed like you were a leaf drifting all over the place," He stroked the back of her hands with his thumbs and continued, "But when I saw that look in your eyes whenever you were backed into a corner, I knew I could see myself with a woman like you. You had the same fire burning in your eyes and eventually, you were able to tame the fire burning inside of me."

Kaori's eyes watered as she smiled up at him, "Mikoto..."

"Izumo called me an idiot the first time I'd called it quits with you," Mikoto confessed with a grin, "Told me to go after you because you were the only girl I'd ever find that would put up with me, and looking back now I know he was right. He saw right through me and knew just how much you really meant to me.

"We've gone through some pretty rough times, whether it be a fight between us or something that could have killed me whenever I went off on my own to settle clan business. I made you worry for days on end whenever I'd disappear without a word, or whenever I'd come back to the bar covered in blood that wasn't mine. To be honest, I'm surprised you managed to stay so level headed after what my lifestyle had put you through when I'd truly become a King."

Kaori giggled and sighed, "I knew what I was getting myself into when you asked me to be yours."

"Clearly, but sometimes I feel like I've been taking you for granted," He chuckled and could hear the others chuckle along with him, "I've called you this before, but you really did turn into an animal tamer when the clan began to grow. You've become such an influential figure to my clansman, as well as become a mother figure to those who needed one. I don't know if this clan would function half as well as it does if I didn't have you, Kaori, really."

She felt her cheeks heat up, "Mikoto, you don't have to say such things."

"It's true," He smiled, "That's one of the things I love about you the most."

Kaori smiled back, "Well, I love you too, my handsome Red King."

He rolled his eyes slightly at her endearment and chuckled, "Yeah, yeah."

Shiro chuckled and smiled before looking at Kaori, "Would you like to say something?"

"I don't know what there is to say in a timely manner so that this wedding can continue," She looked at him, "There's so much that has happened and that I'm grateful for when it comes to Mikoto."

She could feel his grip on her hands tighten slightly and caught the teasing glint in his eyes, "I know you like to give your speeches Kaori, so why not condense it down to what you really want to say?"

She shot him a look that was returned with a wink, "Fine, I will!" She pretended to huff but the smile gave her act away, "Mikoto Suoh... What is there to say about you...

"For starters, you looked like someone who hated being around people when I first laid eyes on you. It was like the vibes you cast around you were like a barrier to ward people off, but I guess that didn't stop me from admiring you from afar. Slowly, I got confident enough to approach you, and when I did you looked at me like none of the other guys did. You looked at me like I was a real person, and I think that's when I realized my admiration was a lot more than that. 

"It took a while, but eventually you accepted my presence around you and slowly began to open up. You told me things that I'd never imagined would be true about you, even going as far as to tell me that you felt as though you had your own inner demons that were truly real. It was captivating when you looked at me, you know. I loved looking into your eyes and watching those amber pools turn into an entirely different shade with each passing word through different topics. You were like your own anomaly and made yourself so terrifying to the others, but that never stopped me from wanting to be close to you.

"I think at first I was in love with the person that could protect me, but then I came to realize it was more than just that. It was you as a whole, Mikoto. Your flaws and temper, I love it all," She looked up at him and smiled softly, "That day you showed me your flames, I was won over."

Mikoto felt a pang in his chest, "You were such a damn fool. Brave, but a fool."

"For you~" She said in a sing-song voice.

All of the Red Clan laughed and clapped as they cheered, " _Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!_ "

Shiro chuckled and grinned, "Well, I guess that's that!" He looked at Kaori and winked before looking up at Mikoto, "Kaori Watari and Red King, Mikoto Suoh, as the First and Silver King, I pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss your beautiful bride."

Mikoto smirked down at her, "Guess this means you're mine for life now, Kaori," He pulled her gently towards him and reached up to cup the base of her neck, "No going back now."

She grinned up at him and cupped both sides of his face, "Lucky me. And really, as if you could scare me off now!"

Everyone clapped and cheered loudly as Mikoto leaned down to claim Kaori's lips in a passionate kiss, sealing their vows and rightly crowning her the Red Queen. When they pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes.

"Yay!" Reina and Meira could be heard through the cheers, "Finally, Kaori's married!"

Akira looked up at Kusanagi and grinned, "It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?"

"Well, to be honest, I thought they'd be married by now," Kusanagi chuckled, "Although Mikoto told me one time that if they hit close to ten years, he'd marry her. Never really could figure out why, but I guess he figured if she could stand him that long that she'd be ready for a lifetime with him. I guess now that they're finally eight years in, he decided to tie the knot."

Akira nodded and smiled, "I don't think I could picture either of them with other people. They're so perfect together."

"You're right," He smiled and wrapped an around Akira's shoulders, "I don't tend to believe in these things, but it seems Mikoto really found his soul mate."

She nodded in agreement and leaned into Kusanagi, "Think Tatara and Kyra are next?"

"I think so," He chuckled, "They have a baby on the way, so I can imagine that's next."

"And then Reina and Yata," Akira shot a sly smile in their direction, "Those two are inseparable."

Kusanagi chuckled and nodded, "Either them, or Rikio and Meira."

"Agreed!"

Kusanagi looked down at Akira with his eyebrow-raising, "What about you?"

"Me?" She looked up at him, "What about me?"

"Think we could make it to the vows someday?"

She nodded and gave him a sincere look, "I do."

"Good, me too," He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

\- x -

Once they were all settled and now sitting around the bonfire to continue with things shortly after the Silver Clan excused themselves, everyone decided to have a session where they each got to put in their words to their King and Queen. More than happy to hear what they had to say, Kaori excitedly motioned for them to start.

"Ladies first!"

With a bit of assistance, Kyra stood up and hobbled over to where everyone could see her while cradling her round belly, "Well, where should I begin?" She smiled and looked at the two, "First off, when I was introduced to you all, I immediately felt so comfortable with you Kaori. You were so welcoming to me and made me feel like I was at home, even though Tatara assured me that you were all very nice."

Kaori grinned and blew Kyra a kiss, causing the girl to giggle and wink.

"You've been like the sister I've never had, as well as all of the other girls," Kyra smiled brightly and brushed a knuckle under her teary eyes, "I'll always appreciate everything you've done for me. Both of you," She looked at Mikoto, "You were so open and welcoming as well, and even offered me to join this family without really knowing me. You were even more caring and welcoming after the accident with Tatara, and I'm forever thankful that I was able to squeeze my way into the hearts of people like you guys."

Mikoto smiled at her and gripped Kaori's hand giving it an affectionate squeeze.

Tatara walked over and helped Kyra back to her seat, as Kusanagi stood up. All eyes landed on the bartender as he grinned over to the newlyweds.

"Mikoto, I'll start with you," He held his glass in his hand and motioned to the Red King with his free hand before positioning it on his hip, "You were certainly a unique person when I met you. You want no one around you and when I let you into my bar, you were happy that you could get away from the idiots who tried to kiss up to you. That is until you finally, albeit reluctantly revealed that you had a special lady friend that, by the way, he kept hidden from me for weeks everyone."

Mikoto smirked and chuckled at the memory of him attempting to tell Kusanagi about Kaori, all the while trying to keep his relationship subtle to the all-seeing bartender.

Kusanagi looked at Kaori, "I don't know if he told you, but the way he tried to tell me about you was that you were a mutual friend from outside of school. Obviously I knew that was bullshit," He took a sip of his drink while everyone grinned at their King, "To be honest, I was kind of shocked when I finally coaxed him into admitting that you were his girlfriend because I didn't think a guy like him could handle having someone while going through the turmoils of transitioning into a King. It wasn't too long after that when you two broke up the first time, and when he said that I called him an idiot, that was true."

"I know," Kaori grinned and pinched Mikoto's cheek gently, "He's not perfect."

The bartender chuckled, "Of course," He grinned at the two, "To keep this from being too long, I'd just like to say that I'm happy that you two found your way back to each other. Especially after that last fight, although Tatara and I would have dragged Mikoto back by the balls to make him apologize to you at that point."

From beside him, Akira muttered something along the lines of  _you're brave_ , making everyone laugh while Kusanagi shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I'm sure you know that after that incident, I forced myself to get a good grip on my temper," Mikoto looked from Kusanagi to Tatara, "It was that, or get my ass beat by you two every day for the rest of my life for being an idiot."

Kaori and Kusanagi grinned at him while Tatara clapped, "That's right!"

As each member rose and spoke, they all had their individual reasons for joining the clan and their own perspectives on both Mikoto and Kaori as their own person. Each time, Kaori would smile and wipe her teary eyes while Mikoto smiled and nodded his appreciation to those who spoke. It was endearing to know how important Mikoto was to all of the members, leaving Kaori to gaze lovingly up at her husband.

It would bring tears to her eyes whenever they would comment on how they adored her as their mother figure to the clan, even when Yata and Reina both called her mum aloud.

"So," Reina grinned, "Does this mean we call you papa now, Mikoto?"

Mikoto's brow rose, so Reina decided to elaborate.

"Well, we call Kaori mum, so do we call you papa?" Her grin never faltered even as Mikoto gave her a droll look, "I take that as a no."

With a shake of her head, Kaori giggled and looked at Mikoto, "I think that would be a little weird. Even Anna doesn't call Mikoto that."

"Mm," He nodded.

\- x -

Kaori squealed as Mikoto kicked the door to their room in and swiftly crossed the room with long strides before tossing her onto the bed. He turned on his heel to go and close the door, and with a click of the lock, he looked over his shoulder at her with a smirk.

Kaori sat up and grinned, "Eager?"

"Hmm," Mikoto turned around and slowly stalked his way up to the bed, shedding a layer with each stride, "I've been wondering what it is that you're wearing underneath that dress for so long that I had to fight the urge to take you somewhere private and rip it off you."

She gave him an innocent look, "A bra and panties?"

"Don't try to bullshit me," He tossed his shirt off to the side and worked on unbuckling his belt and dropping his pants and boxers to the floor, "I know you better than that."

Kaori giggled and propped herself up using both hands behind her to support her weight, "I'll make you a deal," He nodded his head for her to continue, "If you promise not to destroy this dress, I'll let you take it off me."

"Deal."

He was on the job faster than she'd anticipated, having untied the binding that held the laced corset back to her dress so he could push her onto her back to pull the dress from her body. Once it was pulled away, his eyes locked onto her form and immediately his mouth watered.

There she lay with a black and red lingerie set that made her look breathtaking. The corset portion that hugged her waist made her curves look too damn perfect for words and to finish it off she wore a black lace thong that had pieces connecting the see-through stockings that stopped in the middle of her thighs.

No wonder she refused to let Mikoto do the ever-favorite wedding ritual of the husband digging under the dress to retrieve the garter.

The look was completed with the tempting bat of her lashes while she looked up at him seductively, holding her hand out while motioning with her finger for him to go to her. She was almost too tempting for him to even begin processing into words.

"Damn it," Mikoto finally spoke with obvious strain in his tone, "It's going to be a long fucking night."

Kaori giggled and grinned, "I'm okay with that~"

She watched as his eyes dilated and went a vibrant, beautiful red. The smirk that pulled at his lips grew and suddenly, she could feel a primal aura surrounding him. It was completely different from anything she'd felt from him before. It made her shudder as he closed the rest of the distance between them, crawling up onto the bed and over her body. The pure and carnal desire was what came to mind when she watched him, and it was incredible to see it so clear and raw on his face. His own aura probed at hers to coax it into the same wavelength, and soon she felt the heat pool in her lower stomach and her own eyes burning to change color.

"You know what happens once we do this," Mikoto stated with a husky, coarse voice, "Are you ready for this?"

Kaori nodded and grinned, "I can't wait to finally be one with you."

"Me too," He leaned down and melted their lips together, allowing his aura to surround the two of them even as he pulled away, "The tattoo might disappear."

Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his red tresses, "That doesn't matter," She felt the flames licking at her skin but welcomed the hot sensation, "Just hurry up with the lovemaking and make me your Queen."

Her words shot straight through his body and to his already erect cock, "You don't need to ask me twice."

A startled yelp erupted from her lips as Mikoto set her lingerie on fire, quickly incinerating it and leaving her underneath him fully exposed. He smirked down at her and claimed her lips in another intense kiss, his hands reaching down to grab her hips and put her into position. At first, she expected him to take her immediately but was surprised when she felt his hand drop down to her core. 

"Mikoto-!" She gasped, not caring that she was already soaked and so ready for him to take her. 

The Red King watched her with delight, leaning down to kiss her neck before slowly dragging his tongue up to the spot just below her ear, "You've been quite eager, I see."

"You're not the only one who had a hard time keeping their hands still," Kaori tried not to feel embarrassed at how quickly she was losing her breath, knowing that his fingers lazily slip in and out of her were nothing compared to how rough she knew he was going to be. The thought alone made her tremble with anticipation. 

Without warning, Mikoto pulled his hand away to place it on her hip before slammed his own hips forward to claim her like so many other times, successfully earning a loud moan from her.

With each intense motion of his hips, she could feel his aura seeping into her body and began to fill her core to the brim. The two would grunt and moan from the sensitivity of the tips of their nerves being stroked with such fiery passion. His aura that now wrapped around her entire outer exterior, intensified every touch and every kiss of his lips against her flesh. He would smirk against her skin as she groaned out his name and enjoyed the feel of her nails raking down his shoulders as her body quaked against his chest.

"You're so fucking beautiful," He whispered into her ear, "Red suits you."

Kaori bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes tightly as he grasped one of her hands in his to link their fingers together, lifting it up above her head. She felt him shift, knowing his eyes were locked onto her and watched every time her face would twist in pleasure.

"Almost there love," Mikoto smirked when her eyes opened to reveal the same bright red orbs that matched his own, " _Beautiful._ "

" _Mikoto_ –" Kaori gasped loudly and threw her head back as he bucked his hips forward to hit the right spot, enjoying the feeling her fingertips burrowing into his flesh followed by a searing sensation when their shared flames coated her digits.

It was then that he too, gave into the fire and both shared an incredibly intense throw of passion. It was unlike anything the two had experienced before either sharing a hot night of sex or just enjoy the slow, more sensual side to their relationship. They could practically feel the air pulsate with the heat of the room as the two gave in to the immense amount of power radiating from the Red King. It was mirrored by the woman beneath him, who to him, looked like a goddess surrounded by a blanket of red.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this," He grinned, leaning down to claim her lips quickly before pulling away so he could continue to admire her.

Kaori nodded and looked up at him, "That was incredible," She stroked his cheek gently and brushed some hair from his eyes, "If it's like that every time, I don't know if this building will hold together. Izumo will have your head on a silver platter if you damage that rosewood bar he had imported."

Mikoto chuckled, "He'll definitely kick my ass for it, but I can handle him," A giggle escaped her lips as he bumped his nose affectionately against her own, "I love you."

"I love you too, Mikoto," She sighed contently, "I'm such a lucky girl, to be able to see a man like you so unlike yourself."

He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, "Wasn't it you who said to me that I had too much time invested?"

"I did," Kaori grinned back, "Getting sentimental on me now, are you?"

"Well, isn't that what husbands do on their wedding night?" He leaned down, claiming her lips in an intense kiss, "Other than rock their wives' world the entire night?"

Kaori rolled her eyes and giggled, "Of course!"


	34. CH XXXIV - Yata Misaki (III) - Talk Dirty to Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was literally the one chapter to this series that all of my readers waited for, and demanded happened. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as they did LOL

"Phew, what a day!" Reina sighed heavily and flopped down onto the bed as Yata closed the door behind him, "To think we had to fight six guys from different gangs."

Yata grinned, "Doesn't matter the number, we still kicked their asses."

"Of course," She grinned and rolled over so she was on her back and sprawled out in the middle of the bed, "You and Rikio really got into it, didn't you?"

"There's nothing wrong with some competition to make our patrols more entertaining," Yata huffed.

Reina sat up and watched as he pulled his white shirt off and discarded it onto the floor somewhere followed by his black tank top, exposing his full upper body to her eye to admire, scars and all. She felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards as his hands reached for the belt around his waist, taking the opportunity to hop off the bed and go over to help him.

Yata looked at her and leaned down to claim her lips, allowing her hands to brush his aside while she worked the belt through the metal ring and then make quick work of unbuttoning his shorts. Once they were gone, he felt her hands grasp his own gently as she led him towards the bed. He grinned against her lips and brought one hand up to the back of her head and locked her in place to deepen the kiss while his other circled around her waist to hold her against him.

He shuffled his feet to nudge her closer to the edge so that she would collapse back onto the mattress, but a muffled grunt escaped his lips as she suddenly swung his entire body around to body slam him down onto his back.

"The hell?!" Yata looked up at her wide-eyed, "Are you trying to wrestle with me or kiss me?!"

"Oh shush and enjoy it," Reina smirked and began kissing down his neck while reaching a hand up to remove his beanie hat, "When was the last time you let me take the lead over you?"

Yata's cheeks heated only slightly as he pieced together where this was going, and knew immediately that he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

"That's a good question," He sighed happily and closed his eyes as he felt her kisses grazing his tanned skin from the crook of his neck all the way down to his shoulder, "But I think it's well overdue."

She giggled against his skin as she playfully nipped her way down further before glancing up at him with narrowed eyes that bore into his amber's with an alluring gaze, "Don't get cocky on me, _Misaki_ ~"

"Ugh, I love it when you say my name like that," It had been no secret that the boy hated his first name, but when Reina would roll it off the tip of her tongue with such a seductive tone it made his knees go weak and his disdain die with each syllable.

"I know you do," Reina nipped his skin as she made her way lower and lower until she reached the barrier of his boxers where she clearly sees his excitement already budding, "Shall I take these pesky things off?"

Yata nodded quickly and couldn't help but smirk at how quickly she pulled them off, "Eager?"

"You could say that, but at the same time I know how much you hate it when I try to stall this out," Reina winked, "Besides, how could I resist you when you're already so damn excited to see me?"

He chuckled, "I can't help it."

"I know~" She grinned, leaning down to kiss lightly around the base of his area teasingly, "I wonder... What should I do with you first?"

Yata made an indignant sound of protest when she pulled away, only to let out a strangled moan when her hand wrapped around his length and began moving.

"You know, someone told me the other day that their boyfriend nicknamed their dick? How ridiculous is that?" Reina giggled and began moving her hand in an agonizingly slow manner, "Should I nickname yours?"

Yata shuddered in anticipation, "Don't talk about that right now."

"Why not?" She blinked, "Now's as good a time as any!"

She gave a sharp upward movement, Yata groaned and closed his eyes, "I wish you'd reconsider..."

"And do what then?" She suddenly smirked down at him and stopped all movement, "Talk dirty to you?"

His eyes met hers in an almost pleading manner, telling her that's exactly what he wanted.

Using her free hand to stroke circles on his inner thigh teasingly, she tilted her head and looked him in the eye.

"My poor Misaki," She slurred his name in a very sexual way that caused a shudder to rake his body, "So tormented right now because you don't have control. Whatever will I do with you?" Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his tip and watched him twitch eagerly, "Should I make it easy for you or really draw this out?"

Yata groaned and shifted to get a better look at her, "Don't tease me!"

"But what fun would it be if I gave you what you wanted right away?" She moved her hand that held him loosely and watched his eyes lid, "Wouldn't you rather I take my time with you? Work you until you're just about ready to explode and then use my mouth to make you scream?"

She watched as he bit his lip and gripped the sheets beneath him, "Fuck, if you keep saying shit like that I won't last long."

"Oh, I'll make sure you're ready for another round fast," She smirked, "That's the joy of knowing how my man ticks."

Yata groaned as she began moving her hand in a steady pace, his breathing ragged and uneven as she continued to torment him.

She could feel the muscles of his thighs tense and then twitch at random, "What's the matter, Misaki? Unable to control your own muscle spasms?"

"S-Shut up," Yata bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes.

She eyed him carefully and noticed that his face had gone flush and that sweat had begun to bead on his forehead. She knew he was close, she decided to execute the second half of his torture.

A loud groan escaped Yata's mouth when her hand halted, only to be replaced by the feeling of her lips surrounding him. He fought the urge to buck his hips up into the cavern of her mouth but kept himself grounded, allowing her to fully take him on her own accord. Not that she would have let him gain the upper hand, with the way she dug her fingers into his hips to keep him still now. 

"O-Oh fuck," Yata closed his eyes tightly, "I love it when you suck my cock— _aaa_ ~"

He enjoyed the waves of pleasure crashing over him as she milked him, arching his back and lolling his head back with his mouth slightly gaped. When she giggled against him, his legs would shiver and he could feel his peak fast approaching.

Never having been one to soil her from the inside, Yata gasped out and warned of her of his appending eruption, "I-I... Reina, I–"

Reina pulled away only slightly, "Oh, my," She smirked and quickly pumped him, "Let it go baby~"

It took only three quick movements before Yata's body released the pressure that had built up so high, letting a loud moan of satisfaction release along with it. Even as Reina milked him, his body went slack and he inhaled deep breaths to regulate his intake.

When he felt a damp cloth moving over his lower abdomen where he'd messed himself, his cheeks went red despite the fact Reina always cleaned him up after she finished him off.

"Damn it," Yata looked at her through lidded eyes, "You're so damn amazing, do you know that?"

Reina giggled and crawled up over him, "I wouldn't say that just yet," She nuzzled the side of his face before kissing just below his ear, "I'm not done yet."

He felt his groin twitch at her words and looked up at her, "What do you plan on doing this time?"

"You'll see," She winked and leaned up so she was straddling his waist, "Just watch and enjoy."

Yata stared up at her and felt his mouth water as she slowly, teasingly pulled her shirt up and over her head to reveal a red laced corset that she must have been wearing the entire time. It contoured her bust to perfection and hugged her curves in a way that could make a man go mad.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," He reached up to run his hand down her side, "I must be the luckiest man in the world."

She looked down at him and smiled, "So sentimental."

Leaning down to kiss him quickly, she stood up with one foot on either side of his waist and wiggled her hips to rid herself of her shorts. Had the situation been different, Yata would have laughed and commented on how cute she was but watching her now made his slack begin to stiffen once more.

He could feel his entire body twitch to see her wearing a matching lacy thong that had been revealed when she'd shed her short-shorts. It made things worse when he noticed after closer inspection that the thong wasn't even that, but a piece of fabric to look like she was wearing underwear when really, there was nothing piecing the front and back together to leave her fully exposed.

"God damn it," Yata grunted loudly and tried to sit up so he could grab her, "Get your fine ass down here so I can–"

"Nuh-uh!" Reina bent at the waist and pushed him back down onto the mattress, although instead of her eyes she knew he was more focused on her breasts peeking out from her corset, "I feel as though this night calls for a more semi-dominatrix touch, don't you think?"

Yata blinked up at her and was about to respond when she dropped down onto her knees slightly above his hardening length, "Fuck if this is going where I think it's going, I'm so fucking happy that I did whatever I did to deserve this."

"Hmm, you didn't have to do anything," Reina traced circles on his chest, "Do I need a reason to grind my hips against yours and ride you so hard that you scream my name?"

If he wasn't ready then, he was certainly ready now.

Yata brought his fist up to his mouth and bit down to muffle the groan he would have gave when Reina rocked her hips against him in a teasing manner. When he'd felt the outside of her core touch him, he could feel her own excitement and reveled in the fact she was already sopping and so ready for him to take her.

It could have made him explode with just that thought alone.

His hands reached up to grab her hips as his the tips of his fingers dug into her ass, forcing her to grind his hardened appendage once more like a tantalizing preview of what was to come. He enjoyed the fact that her mouth slightly gaped and her eyes were lidded, enjoying the sensation just as much as he.

"You think you can make me scream," Yata managed to ground out with a cocky grin, "Ride me hard and let's see what you can do."

Reina smirked down at him and reached down between her legs to position him, "That was the plan, _Misa-ki_ ~"

He watched with excitement as she settled above him and prepared to sheath him when the realization struck, "You don't want to use a condom?"

"Well, now that you bring that up now just before I ride you," Reina gave him a blank look, "Because we're so sexually active, I decided to go on the needle so I don't have to worry about taking pills every day. Basically, it makes my body think that it's pregnant for about three months," She smiled brightly, "So no more periods and no more icky condoms! That, and you don't have to panic or worry about going inside me."

Yata smirked, "You know, that's actually pretty damn exciting and dangerous. How the hell are we gonna stop now?"

"Oh, we're not slowing down at all," Reina grinned back at him.

They both shared a loud gasp as Reina sank down and engulfed him without warning, enjoying the sensations trickling from her head to the very tips of her toes at the feeling of him filling her completely.

With his hands still grasping her hips tightly, he helped guide her into a rhythm that suited both of them and soon the two were moaning each other's names loudly in unison. Whenever she would move a certain way, Yata would buck his hips up to meet her and strike a chord that would make her thrum in pleasure. He could feel her body tense around him and loved the way she would close tightly around him whenever he would hit the right spot. Even when she ground her hips against his and his body would react in a similar way, he never stopped trying to please her more than she was to him.

However, in his opinion, she was going much too slow for his liking and this game she used to tease him was going to come to an end.

"M-Misaki~" Reina moaned, her head slightly back and her eyes closed, "I— _Yata_!"

Having been able to tell she was close to her peak while he was not quite finished, he skillfully rolled them over so he was on top of her and reached down with one hand at a time to wrap her legs around his waist.

He claimed her lips in a passionate kiss as he moved, never letting her catch her breath or to give her a moment of reprieve. Reaching between their bodies to quickly rip the tie that bound her corset together away, he only pulled his lips from her own to kiss and nip his way down to her now exposed breasts.

She could feel his lips smirk against her fleshy peaks while he suckled on the sensitive skin mercilessly, enjoying his slow torture as payback for leaving him to wait for so long. Even so, the way his hips ground against hers did suit his normal routine and soon he was clashing with her in a normal intense, powerful explosion of movements that left them both breathless.

In a matter of minutes, Reina experienced a wave of intense sensation that began to build up inside of her core that begged for release. She gasped loudly and soon before she could stop, she whimpered her body's plea to the man above her. Through lidded eyes, she could see him smirk in satisfaction before feeling his hand slide down to her lower half and soon she felt her sensitive bundle of nerves being teased with the brushing of his fingers.

It took only several more powerful moments before Reina's body exploded with light, leaving her breathless and speechless while Yata continued his merciless tempo.

Before long, she felt the same pressure build-up as his movements became rough and erratic. Within seconds, the two experienced the euphoric feeling of bliss at their releases.

It took a moment for Yata's closed eyes to reopen, and as he pulled away from his lover his entire body shook with the aftershock of their activity before he fell to the side. He watched as Reina's chest would rise and fall with every heavy breath she took until she finally slowed her heart down.

"You're so damned beautiful," Yata murmured, propping himself on his elbow and bringing his other hand to stroke her cheek gently, "Have I ever told you that?"

Reina looked at him and giggled with a soft smile, "Always."

With a smile back, Yata leaned forward and pressed an uncharacteristically gentle kiss to her forehead, "I love you, babe."

"I love you too, _babe_ ," She sighed contently, shifting so she could lay against him and nestled underneath his chin where he held her close.


	35. CH XXXV – K - Happy Endings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who may or may not have read the stand-alone Fushimi and Yata chapter I posted a few updates back, my take on their strained relationship comes from all of the information given from just the first season of K Project, and the Blue and Red manga sequences. I hadn't had the chance to look at everything else once all of the materials concerning more background and the Green Clan drama, so I decided to leave it how it was written back in 2015. Enjoy! :)

"So, where are we going?"

Reina looked up at Yata as she led him to an undisclosed location, "I told you, we're going for lunch with a friend!"

He seemed skeptical, but he never voiced his concern even as they reached the restaurant.

When they walked inside, only two tables were occupied close to the front of the restaurant, with one of them being a small family of three sitting and enjoying a meal together. A waitress came up to them and Reina gave her their names, and soon the two were following the lady towards the back half of the room until they reached a booth hidden away from the rest of the tables in the main spot.

Yata's brows furrowed in confusion, knowing things like being in public with him never bothered Reina before so he began to question her intentions when his eyes landed on Keirsten, who had stood up and stepped aside for them.

"Oi," He waved his free hand to her, mildly surprised to see her, "You're joining us for lunch?"

"They both are," Reina shoved Yata down before he could object, having stuffed him on the inside of Keirsten so he couldn't escape, "You're going to sit there and behave, you got it?!"

Yata started to object and then noticed a very sour-looking Fushimi sitting across from him, "The fuck is this?!"

" _This_ ," Reina boxed Fushimi in on the other side of the booth and motioned to the two of them, "Is you two being forced to be civil to one another so Keirsten and I can stop going behind your backs to hang out."

Fushimi scoffed, only to receive a kick from under the table and glare from Keirsten, "Don't start! You agreed to this."

"You mean you actually agreed to do this, Saru?" Yata eyed him suspiciously, "Bullshit. He must have been drugged."

"No, he made the choice on his own free will," Keirsten glared at Yata, not wanting to reveal that Fushimi had been lying when he said that he would do this just to make her happy, "So, Reina and I planned this out and now you two are going to sit here and enjoy lunch with your two lovely ladies. Got it?"

Yata turned to Keirsten to make a nasty comment but was quickly silenced by the look Reina was currently giving him, "Fine," Crossing his arms in a huff, Yata sat back against the back of the booth and looked anywhere but at them.

When the waitress came to collect their orders, Reina and Keirsten ended up choosing for the boys after minutes of trying to coax one of them to speak. Just to play their immature game, the two ordered the children's special for them to match their current attitude.

"I'm not eating a kid's meal," Yata glared at Reina.

She met his gaze with an innocent smile, "You will because you keep acting like one."

Yata muttered something incoherent under his breath and remained sitting there with his arms crossed over his chest, completely unhappy with the situation.

Across from him, Fushimi remained silent and made no objections. He kept his eyes looking outside the small window beside their table and never made an attempt to enter either conversation both Reina and Keirsten tried to bring him into.

"Fine," Keirsten stood up, "Both of you act like babies. I'm going to the bathroom."

Reina nodded, "I'll come with you," She stood up and shot Yata a warning glare before slipping out of the booth and following Keirsten to the ladies room.

With the two boys left sitting there in silence, the air quickly grew tense and thick. Fushimi's fingers closed tightly around his sleeves while Yata sat there mulling in his own disdain.

"This is ridiculous," Fushimi muttered with a click of his tongue, "And now she leaves me alone with him."

Yata snarled, "It's not like I want to be here either, _monkey_."

Fushimi looked at him, "Alright then, let's agree to disagree."

"Huh?" Yata's brows furrowed, "The fuck does that mean?"

Fushimi's eyes rolled, "You're even more stupid than this situation," Yata's fists clenched and for a moment, Fushimi thought he was going to destroy the table to get to him, "We both don't want to be here but we both hold the opinions of our girlfriends at high standards, right? So we suck it up until they're appeased and then go home forgetting that this even happened."

"Fine by me," Yata muttered angrily, sitting back against his seat again and looking away from his former comrade.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes with neither one making a move to engage the other in conversation. As a matter of fact, the two avoided eye contact at all cost.

"You know," Yata looked out the window with a deep frown, "To be honest... This is actually kind of nice," He fought with himself for a moment knowing he would get ridiculed by the taller male, "It's been a while since you or I spent any actual time together since you left."

Fushimi's eyes flashed to the russet quickly before looking back out the window again, "I'm sorry you feel that way," He heard Yata shift uncomfortably and uncrossed his arms with a deep sigh, "Fine, I agree with you. Happy now?"

Yata looked at his former best friend with mixed emotions, "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Fushimi narrowed his eyes at Yata.

"Abandon me and HOMRA," Yata asked in an even, monotone voice, "I think I deserve to know the real answer after all this time."

"I'd rather hear the theories you have on why I did it," Fushimi mused, his brow quirking up slightly at the challenge, "Kusanagi asked me the same thing, you know?"

"Did you tell him why?"

"No," Fushimi shifted slightly, "It's not his place to know why I did it."

Yata glared, "Kusanagi was just as upset as I was."

"So I've been told," Fushimi rolled his eyes before deeply inhaling a solid breath, "You want to know why I left?"

Yata nodded, "You owe me an explanation, Saruhiko. I know you told Kaori, so why did you only tell her and not your best friend?"

Fushimi eyed his former best friend for a moment before sighing deeply, "I suppose I do to some extent."

...

Meanwhile, Reina and Keirsten stood off to the side peeking around the corner as they watched the two boys and their minor exchanges with equally worried expressions. From there position, they were facing the more brash of the two, watching his facial expressions change ever so slightly with the change in their conversation flow.

"Think they're actually going to talk about what happened?" Reina bit her bottom lip while looking to Keirsten, "Or do you think they're going to go at each other's throats?"

Keirsten watched them closely and noticed how Yata's expression softened just a touch as his eyes locked onto Fushimi, "It could go either way," She looked at Reina and frowned, "Yata's not glaring at him, so could that be a good sign?"

"I don't know," Reina's brows furrowed while she stared at Yata, "As you said, it could go either way..."

"Speaking of which," Keirsten gave Reina a curious look, "What did you have to bribe Yata with to come here today?"

Reina deadpanned, "A repeat of last night."

"You too?" Keirsten slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, "Boys, right? Walking hormones."

Reina nodded several times, "No fucking kidding. They think that just because we're on the receiving end of it frequently that we still don't get tender down there. I'm _still_ aching because Yata doesn't know how to be gentle!"

"I know, right? Saruhiko thinks he's a damn machine drill going through a rock," Keirsten rolled her eyes, "I don't think he's ever been gentle since we first started having sex."

Reina looked at her, "He's so tall and lanky, I never would have thought he'd have it in him."

"Appearances are extremely deceiving, trust me."

\- x -

"What would you say if I asked you to be my assistant, Eri?" Reisi looked up from one of the puzzles he was currently piecing together, "You would be mostly working along miss Awashima and be dealing with negotiations that she oversees, but you will also be working with me so I can school you on how to use your aura in battle."

Eri, who was sitting opposite of him on the other side of his desk, nodded with a smile, "Sure, that sounds reasonably fair."

"Oh?" His brow quirked and a small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth, "Is that position not one you were hoping for?"

She shook her head and grinned, "It's not that. I've gotten pretty lazy with minimal work you've given me, so now I suppose it's more of a slap of reality than a complaint."

"I see," Munakata chuckled at her, "Shall I keep you on light duties for a while longer, then?"

Eri shook her head again, "No thanks, I'd rather be of use so don't take what I said seriously."

"As you wish," He smiled at her, "I would like to start your real training tomorrow."

Eri nodded and stood up, "Sounds good!" She turned to leave but looked over her shoulder, "Does this mean I stay in the woman's dorms now?"

"What a humorous idea," Munakata grinned up at her, "Of course you'll be staying with me."

Standing up from his seat, he rounded the desk and walked to Eri with an innocent smile on his face. Leaning down, he captured her lips in a loving kiss, bringing his arms around her to hold her in place while he showered her with affections. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck as she sighed contently, smiling up at him even as he released her and let her leave the office to go about her schedule for the day.

\- x -

"... Really?" Meira stared at the wall while on the phone with Kaori, absolutely shocked at the news, "That's incredible! Are you going to tell everyone when you get here?"

_"Actually, Kyra and I are going to her doctor for Kiseki's checkup and then we'll meet you at the beach."_

"Sounds good, I'll let everyone know!" Meira giggled, "I can't wait to see the look on Mikoto's face!"

_"Thanks, just don't let it on that you know what going on! We shouldn't be too long so tell them all not to wait for us. You know what they're like."_

Meira grinned, "Oh, I do!"

After hanging up, Meira went to go and help the guys pack the van and soon they were off to the beach. The trip didn't take as long as it usually did, with all of HOMRA quickly setting up their usual spot before hitting the water.

Mikoto and Kusanagi sat underneath the umbrellas lazed back on their chairs while the girls helped build a sandcastle with Anna and Tatara. It surprised them because even Rin had come and joined them, after meeting with the King and being formally accepted as a member of HOMRA.

Meanwhile, Chitose and Bando were currently battling it out on the waves to try and out-surf one another, while Kamamoto and the others played volleyball in the water.

Everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves, much like they always did when they returned to this spot.

"So," Kusanagi looked at Mikoto, "Any luck yet?"

Mikoto laid back against his chair with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed, "Regarding what?"

"You know what I'm referring to," Kusanagi chuckled, sitting back against his own seat with a content sigh, "I know you two have been trying since you got married." 

"Not yet," The Red King's body shifted slightly as he released a deep sigh, "She thinks we're trying too hard, but it doesn't matter how little or often we try, she doesn't seem to be catching. She even took her doctor's advice about watching her cycle, but even timing it with that didn't seem to help much."

"Is that why she went to the doctors today?" Kusanagi frowned slightly, knowing his best friend wanted nothing more than to start a family with his wife, "I overheard her and Kyra saying something about her appointment first and then Kiseki's."

Mikoto shrugged, "I'm not sure. She was already gone with Kyra this morning when I woke up."

"Maybe she's going to get a hormone injection?" Kusanagi's brow rose, "I mean, if there's nothing wrong with either of you, then maybe she just needs a little help? I mean, you both are fertile, right?" 

Mikoto shot Kusanagi a questioning look, to which his friend offered him a shrug paired with a concerned look, "Yeah, we both got checked right away when she didn't get pregnant the first two weeks after our wedding night. To be honest, I thought she would have gotten pregnant then, considering the date conveniently fell on one of the dates on the calendar she tracks her cycle on." 

"Well, I'm sure it'll happen eventually. You two are still young and healthy, so that's on your side. Plus, you guys took measures to get checked and with what the Silver King said about you two joined as one, I'm sure it's only a matter of time," Kusanagi said with a reassuring smile, until he backtracked what he said and paused, "Speaking of which, have you noticed she's been putting on a little weight? I mean, I don't want to seem rude or anything, it's just that I've noticed it more recently."

"I never noticed," Mikoto's eyes opened and he looked at Kusanagi, "Why do you ask?"

Kusanagi gave him a thoughtful look, "Well, Yata said that her eating habits have really changed and that she's eating the equivalent to what Rikio eats all winter."

"Is that so?" Mikoto sighed and sat up while holding a hand over his mouth as he yawned.

The bartender's eyebrow rose, "You're not worried?"

"No," Mikoto watched all of his clansmen for a moment before looking at Kusanagi again, "She won't let herself go. You know what Kaori's like, with all of her worries about watching her health."

"That's true," Kusanagi nodded slowly, "Although, I think you should keep an eye on her, or at least let me do it for you since I'm not around her all the time like you are."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate the concern, but we both know she'd kick our asses if she caught on to what we were doing," Mikoto said with a grin, "What about Akira? Anything new with her?"

Kusanagi chuckled at the King's smooth way of changing the subject and shrugged, "Not that I can see, but I get the feeling like she's hiding something from me."

"Maybe all of the girls are pregnant?" Mikoto randomly stated.

Kusanagi's face dropped, "I don't know about the other boys, but I use condoms."

"Condoms don't work all the time with men like us," Mikoto's lips pulled into a small grin as he referred to the fire shared by all of HOMRA, "So I'd watch it if I were you."

"I think it'd be better to say that to Yata and Reina," Kusanagi chuckled and sighed, "Listen to us, Mikoto. Talking like we did back in the day when we were both in school. Doesn't it make you feel old?"

Mikoto nodded, "It was definitely a lot simpler back then. Besides, you're the oldest one, so only you get to complain."

"That it was," Kusanagi agreed and chuckled, "I may be the oldest member in HOMRA, but you're the one that acts like an old man the majority the time."

Mikoto shot him a halfhearted glare, "Yeah, yeah."

\- x -

"..." Yata stared at Fushimi before giving his head a shake, "That's why you did it?"

Fushimi sat back against the cushion of the booth seat with his arms loosely crossed over his chest, "Yes. You wanted the truth, so I gave it to you."

"But why would you think that of Mikoto?" Yata's brows furrowed, "After everything he's done for us."

Fushimi's tongue clicked, "You're blinded by your unbridled faith in a man that took us in and had us fighting petty mob bosses and gangs to keep them off the street. What kind of a life is that, Misaki?"

"It's a job, Saru," His eyes narrowed, "Just like the job you do under _your King_. Don't you try and tell me that what we do at HOMRA is any different from you Blue's and your bullshit when dealing with strains. Our clans both try to keep bad people out of the public, so don't try to act all sanctimonious because you're backed up by the law."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes right back at Yata, "I can assure you it's more to protect the public than for self-gain like you Red Clan members."

The two stared at each other angrily before Yata's mask cracked as his eyes leaked out all of what he was really feeling to the boy across the table from him.

"Why would you think that I would abandon you for Mikoto?" His voice was ground out and most likely supposed to be strong, but it came out cracked and insecure, "You were like my brother, Saru... I wouldn't have done what you think I've done."

Fushimi fought hard to stop himself from laughing, "You did it without realizing, Misaki. When Mikoto walked into our lives, all you did was preoccupy your time trying to chase after him like a dog with its tail between its legs."

"You know, you looked up to him as your King once too!" Yata glared, "So stop talking like those months you were a true member of HOMRA didn't happen!"

Fushimi eyed him, "You mean chasing gang bangers and going into the underground to beat up drug dealers? Yes, those were the greatest moments of my life."

Yata's brow twitched at not only his sarcasm but the uncaring tone of his voice, "Saruhiko, nothing's changed. Fuck, I still think of you as my best friend even after you fucking betrayed me, and now you're going to sit here and shit all over the memories of when you and I worked as a team? Fuck you, _Monkey_."

"Yes, fuck me," Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "Fuck me for making a decision to better myself in life and make a selfish choice to leave a friend that wanted nothing more to do with me."

"When the fuck did I ever make you feel like I didn't want you around anymore?!" Yata's fists clenched. "You're so fucking ridiculous, Saru!"

Fushimi scoffed angrily, " _I'm_ ridiculous?! I'm not like you or the others, Misaki! I never was, nor will I ever be! I won't dote on a man who did one kind thing for me and dedicate my life to him like a servant to a master!"

"Mikoto doesn't treat us like we're his servants, he treats us like human beings!" Yata snarled, "Stop disrespecting him like he's a piece of shit boss from the Yakuza!"

"Would you give it up already?! You aren't going to change my opinion of him, so fuck off with trying to shove your views down my throat!" Fushimi finally snapped, glaring openly at Yata while slamming his fist onto the table, "You were my best friend and the only one who truly understood me, Misaki! How the hell do you think I felt when you were fawning all over that man like he was some sort of god?! _You_ abandoned _me_ , Misaki."

Yata stared at Fushimi unable to come up with a quick response to his outburst, only being able to sit there in silence while his former partner sat there breathing heavily in the midst of his own rage.

"I couldn't stay," Fushimi inhaled sharply, "I couldn't watch my best friend get sucked into his new lifestyle and forget about me, so I opted to have you hate me for the rest of our lives instead."

"Do you realize how fucking stupid you sound right now?"

Fushimi looked at Yata with slightly wide eyes, "Excuse me?"

"To be honest, Saru," Yata took a moment to inhale a deep breath before releasing it, looking straight into Fushimi's eyes, "I'm a little insulted that you'd think so low of me."

Fushimi stared at the russet in slight shock while he continued.

"You know, at one point I was completely okay with you having taken off and left me," Yata revealed, "I was so fucking angry at the fact that you'd up and left for the Blue's that I didn't want to think rationally about it, until Kaori finally sat me down and forced me to talk to her. She told me everything that she could and tried to help me understand why you did what you did."

"Yeah," Fushimi looked out the window, "She has that way about her, doesn't she?"

Yata nodded, "She told me about the day you stepped foot in the bar again," Fushimi stiffened noticeably while Yata continued, "You know, I was actually relieved that you still had the balls to come back to see us, even if Keirsten had to drag you."

"What's that supposed to be? A compliment?" Fushimi's eyes flashed to him for a brief second before turning to stare out the window.

Yata chuckled, "No, it's more of a bold assumption," He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, "I won't try to hide the fact that I was pissed as fuck to know you stepped foot back onto HOMRA territory, but at the same time..." He paused and sighed deeply, "I was happy."

"Is that so?" Fushimi sounded less than amused, but by his posture and from their years together, Yata knew that his former best friend was slowly letting his words sink in.

Deciding to be the better person, Yata looked right at Fushimi, "Saruhiko," Said boy's eyes drifted towards his person once more, "I want to give our friendship another go."

Fushimi fully turned to face Yata with an incredulous look, "You can't be serious?"

"I am," Yata stared him down, "I want my best friend back."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "What kind of trick are you trying to play on me?"

"I'm not, you stupid fucking idiot," Yata glared, "I'm asking for you to and I to be friends again. I know things will never go back to the way they were, but I want a fresh start with no strings attached."

Meanwhile, off to the side where they were still hidden and watching their lovers, Reina and Keirsten held their breaths while they waited for Fushimi's response.

"Yata's really going out on a limb, isn't he?" Keirsten bit her bottom lip.

Reina nodded and continued to stare at the two, "Yeah... Let's just hope he doesn't get crushed by Fushimi again."

"Hey," Keirsten frowned slightly, "It wasn't all his fault, to begin with, but I do agree. They need this."

Deciding not to argue about who was in the wrong, Reina simply nodded and waited.

Fushimi stared Yata down for a moment in contemplation before closing his eyes with a sigh, "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" He could feel Yata's anger bubbling but he never gave the russet a chance to voice his opinion, "Fine."

"Huh?" Yata blinked.

"I said _fine_ , you idiot," Fushimi glared.

Yata stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, "You mean it?"

"Yes," Fushimi began to feel the regret pooling in his system, "But I refuse to become a part of HOMRA again. That's my only condition."

Knowing that was as good as it was going to get, Yata yielded and nodded slowly, "Fine by me, although I think a few people would be happy to see you come around again."

Fushimi nodded reluctantly, knowing he meant Kaori and Kusanagi, "I'll try."

From their hiding spot, both Keirsten and Reina grinned happily and shared a high five with one another before making their presence known. Unknown to the two, Fushimi had known they were there the whole time and had been watching their reflection from the window beside him.

"So it's safe to come back?" Reina walked up and slid into the booth beside Yata, who nodded and seemed extremely relieved, "Good! We were worried for a few minutes that we'd have to come and break up a fight."

Fushimi looked at Keirsten as she slid in beside him, a calm and loving smile on her face, "I knew you had it in you."

"Hmm," Fushimi clicked his tongue and looked away, "I promised you, didn't I?"

Reina watched the two and smiled, "So, how about lunch now that we're all civil to each other once again?!"

\- x -

"Wow, hard to believe it's been a little over four months since Kiseki was born," Kyra smiled brightly while Kaori took her turn carrying the child in her arms, "I'm so relieved that she's as healthy as a horse! Tatara has been worried about her either not feeding enough of me or eating enough of her food."

Kaori looked at her, "Well, you guys did introduce her food a little early in most people's eyes but she can't get enough of it."

"Pah! My mother was shoving everything down my throat when I started getting curious, and that was around Kiseki's age!" Kyra grinned and waved her off, "I don't see the harm in letting my little girl explore everything she can. Hell, Yata even made her a special soup that he'd gotten a recipe for and she ate the whole damn bowl."

Looking down at Kiseki chewing on her fingers innocently, Kaori giggled, "Yes, I remember that."

As the two walked down the sidewalk and neared the beach, Kyra stopped her companion and looked at her, "Are you going to tell him?"

"I am," Kaori grinned brightly, "I'm shocked he doesn't know or even suspect anything yet, but you know what men are like."

Kyra giggled and nodded, "I made sure Tatara packed his camera today because we definitely have to get that on tape!"

"Yeah!" Kaori nodded in agreement, "I think I'll take him for a walk and then tell him when it's just the two of us."

She looked over after the two had spotted their group and smiled, "He's going to lose his mind, you know that right?"

"Oh, I know," Kaori smirked, "I can't wait."

\- x -

Later during the evening when the sun began to set, Eri sat with Awashima and Hana decided to go and enjoy a meal outside of Scepter 4 with just the three of them.

As much as Eri didn't want to admit, it was nice to get away from Munakata. She admitted a while back that he had a way about him that made him almost foreboding, but she'd become so accustomed to his presence being around her that she didn't mind it. Awashima had noticed their newest Scepter 4 member becoming too dependent on their King, that she felt she had to step in for her own good.

"Thanks again for convincing me to come with you both," Eri smiled at the two, "I appreciate the breath of fresh air."

Hana smiled, "It's not a problem. Seri, here, told me about your relationship with our Blue King so I was more than happy to agree when she brought this up!"

"You're the woman dating Himori Akiyama, correct?" Eri grinned at her, "It's nice to finally put a name to your face, Miss Totchikawa."

"Just Hana is fine," She grinned, "It's nice to finally meet you, too. There were rumors floating all around the building but it was hard to believe that a Chiharu had come to us and was with our Blue King."

Eri blushed, "Yeah... About that..."

"She knows," Awashima smiled, "I informed her of your personal relationship with captain Munakata, as well as your status in Scepter 4. Hana is also in the division you will be learning to work in, and is equal to Fushimi."

Eri nodded and looked at the two, "So you are part of the intel corps as well?"

Hana nodded, "Yeah, but I'm not as in-depth as Fushimi is."

"I see," She looked up and smiled at the waiter that brought their drinks, "So will I be shadowing you while Seri is doing other duties?"

"Most likely," Hana smiled, "If you do, I promise that I won't let Fushimi boss you around. He can be a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes."

Eri blinked, "I overheard the boys talking about him having a girlfriend though? You'd think that she would help make him... You know, friendlier?"

"He's his own enigma," Awashima sighed, "I worry about that boy but sometimes he seems so much older than he is. Captain Munakata has a lot of hopes for him, so I try not to let my own personal judgment or opinions cloud our work when he and I are partnered together."

"Fair enough," Eri smiled, "He seems like he's got a lot on his mind lately, but enough about him! Tell me about your guys' relationships and how things are going!"

Hana grinned, "Himori and I are doing great! The captain was gracious enough to give our weeks off at the same time, so he and I are going to do the dreaded "Meet the Parents" thing."

"How brave!" Eri blinked, "Has it really been that long?"

Hana shrugged, "Long enough. I think he's someone I can see myself staying with for a long time."

"That's good," Both girls agreed.

"What about you?" Hana grinned in Awashima's direction, "Marrying that fiance of yours anytime soon?"

She smiled, "We've decided on a winter wedding, which is somewhat unethical considering most people plan for their walk down the aisle to be in the heat but it was the only time we could schedule our vacation time together."

"Whatever works, right?" Eri giggled, "Have you picked out your dress, yet?"

Awashima nodded, "I have. It's hidden away in my dorm room, actually."

"So will you be moving into his house after the wedding?" Hana looked at her.

"Most likely not right away, as it's easier for me to continue my duties when I am living in the female quarters of Scepter 4 but it's definitely something to think about," Awashima admitted, "It's unfortunate that I can't be with him as much as I want, but my duty to our King holds high level of priority."

Eri nodded with a smile, "Reisi is very lucky to have a first lieutenant like you, Seri."

"Thank you," The lieutenant's cheeks heated slightly, "Well, enough about me. How are things going with the captain?"

"Yeah, how does that work? Being so close to the captain and all, which by the way is kind of weird hearing someone address him so... Informally?" Hana looked at Eri, "You have a room in the dorms with us, but do you stay with him?"

Eri looked at them both with her cheeks tinted pink, "Well... I _had_ a room in the dorms. Reisi had all of my belongings moved to his quarters."

"I figured that wouldn't take long," Awashima grinned in her direction, "Captain Munakata also has a home outside of Scepter 4. Have you been there as well?"

Eri shook her head, "Not yet, but he plans on taking me when we go to see his family."

"Aww," Hana smiled, "So it's official, then? You two really are a couple?"

Eri grinned and nodded, "Yeah!"

\- x -

"See, that wasn't so bad?" Keirsten looked at Fushimi as she shrugged her coat off, "You'll feel much better having your best friend back, Saruhiko."

He watched her and nodded slowly before looking off to the side, "I hope you're right."

They had arrived back her apartment in the evening shortly after saying their goodbyes to Yata and Reina, having left the restaurant somewhat late. They'd all gotten caught up in stories about their own individual pasts that time flew by well into the late afternoon, and so from there, they'd decided to go for a walk together.

"How do you feel about the whole situation?" Keirsten regarded Fushimi with a serious expression, "Honestly."

He turned and looked at her, "Honestly?" He crossed the room and stopped right in front of her while reaching a hand up to cup her face, "I don't believe him, but the part of me that I pushed away wants to believe him."

"Well, let that hidden part of you come back and peek out," She smiled up at him, "You've gotten past a hurdle that you didn't think you ever would, so there's progress. Now you and Yata just have to find some sort of mutual ground again in order to see one another as friends rather than enemies."

Fushimi nodded but remained silent.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers and used the hand on her cheek to slide back and cup her neck to hold her in position. She didn't resist him and brought her arms up to loosely wrap around his neck, sinking into the attention he was giving to her that was beginning to escalate as he shuffled her backward.

Keirsten gasped slightly into the kiss as her back hit the wall and Fushimi's lips began to coax her into a more intense exchange, using his tongue to tease the gap between her own cavern to which she willingly obliged. She could feel his hands wandering the expanse of her torso until they found their way up and underneath her shirt. Stifling a giggle as his fingers brushed her sides, he pulled away from her lips long enough to pull her shirt over her head, as well as his own. Next was her bra, to which he made quick work of before lifting her into the way so she was flush against the wall while straddling his hips.

"Are we going to make it to the couch at least?" Keirsten shuddered while his lips made their way down her collar bone.

Fushimi ignored her and brought one of his knees up to support her weight on one arm so he could unbuckle his pants and release himself from his pants. He had been thankful she was wearing a skirt for their outing, having already used one of his daggers to slice through the thin material of her underwear.

Linking her fingers behind his neck to help anchor her body against him, she pulled him into a passionate kiss as he slid a hand between their bodies long enough to position himself before easing himself into her heat. The two shared a throaty moan but never broke their kiss even as his hips began to grind up against her own.

He felt her body shudder against his own, having been pressed so tightly between himself and the wall. With each impact he could feel the depth of her body clench around him in a persuasive way, only furthering his will to power over her and slam mercilessly into her body.

Pulling away from the kiss, Keirsten leaned her forehead on his shoulder and whimpered as he used both hands to grip her hips tightly. She could already feel her peak fast approaching as he angled himself perfectly to hit each and every sweet spot inside her core, meeting his hips with her own in a harsh throw of torment.

Fushimi grunted loudly at a particular way her hips collided with his and decided to escalate, pulling her away from the wall to turn and lay her on the floor. He could feel that cool fire burning in the pits of his stomach as he fiercely rocked their bodies together, noticing by her uneven breathing and the way her back arched when she was so close to her oblivion. Opting for one of her more favorite positions, he paused his movements only to bring both of her legs up and onto his shoulders so he could delve deeper.

Keirsten gave a loud, solid moan as he moved again. This way, he could hit her sweet spot perfectly each time and bring her that much closer to the edge.

"Say my name," Fushimi leaned down and nipped at her earlobe, "Better yet, scream it for me."

Keirsten's body quaked and shuddered hard as his breath fanned over her neck, "S-Saruhiko..."

"Louder~" She could feel his lips smirking against the skin just below her ear.

With one powerful thrust forward, Keirsten's body began to shake uncontrollably as she moaned loudly, " _Saruhiko_!"

A straggled gasp left her throat as his teeth bit into her shoulder, feeling his own body give in to the pleasure as he succumbed to the torture. He continued to rock his hips to tease their nerves as they both rode out their release, enjoying the lights that would flash in their vision.

"I should have warned you," Fushimi pressed his forehead against her neck and closed his eyes, "All that pent up anger..."

Keirsten ran her fingers through his hair and smiled, "I know you well enough that when you get angry, you turn into a beast. It's all good!"

"I know," He pressed a kiss against her flesh and gave a small sigh of contentment.

\- x -

"Ah, you guys are here!" Tatara looked over to see Kyra and Kaori walking down towards them, "You're just in time to join us for the bonfire! Yata and Reina just got here, too!"

Kyra smiled and offered Kiseki to Tatara, who'd had his arms extended in waiting, "Has everyone behaved themselves today?"

"Of course!" Tatara grinned and cooed to his baby girl, "Did you enjoy your day with mummy and auntie Kaori?"

Kyra watched as Kiseki giggled and reached up to grab at Tatara's hair while he would talk to her, enjoying the sight with a content sigh.

"Mikoto," Kaori walked over to the King, "Come take a walk with me?"

He looked up at her and noticed her hand was extended and she had a loving smile on her face, "Of course."

Allowing her to help pull him up, Mikoto walked with Kaori towards the water where they sauntered at a leisurely pace ankle keep in the swell. Linking their fingers together, Mikoto kept a firm hold on his wife's hand as they walked in comfortable silence.

"It's been quite the year, hasn't it?" She looked up at him, "All of the new ladies joining us, and then we had a baby born into the clan? How exciting is that!"

Mikoto nodded and looked down at her, "We finally got married."

"Yes," Kaori smiled lovingly up at him, "You're right. We finally got married, and it seems like it's almost too good to be true."

He chuckled, "It does seem like that, doesn't it?"

"You know, I've had a lot on my mind recently," Kaori looked forward as she spoke, "With all of you guys going out on patrols and also helping the Silver Clan against their enemies whenever you can, it's given me a good, long time to fully process what I'm about to say."

Mikoto's brows furrowed, "That bad, huh?"

"No," She stopped walking and turned to face him, "I've thought a lot about our future family and how things will be once you're ready to step down. You can't be a King forever, and you know I'll support your decisions along the way up until and passed that point."

"I know," He reached forward to take her other hand and held them both tightly in his own, "When the time comes, you'll be the first to know."

Kaori giggled, "Somehow I feel like it will be spontaneous."

"Most likely," Mikoto grinned slightly, "As are all of the decisions I make."

Kaori grinned up at him, "Yes, which is why I feel like I've drawn this out long enough."

"What?" His brow rose.

"Well," She took a deep breath before smiling up at him, "When we got married, which is the exact spot I brought you to, we tried hard for so long hoping that I would get pregnant. I changed my diet, took supplements prescribed by my family physician and even cut back on what I did during the days even though I know you were secretly hoping I'd do that anyway. I even thought of resorting to hormone therapy, which I'm thankful I didn't need to do."

Mikoto frowned, "Don't blame yourself because we're having no luck."

"Oh, I'm not blaming myself at all," Kaori bat her lashes up at him, "I'm actually here to tell you right now, that I'm pregnant."

"... What?" Mikoto's jaw went slack as if he hadn't heard her, "You're—"

"Pregnant," Kaori repeated, "And the appointment I had today was my first ultrasound. I wanted to know why I was so big for fourteen weeks, and come to find out I have twins. She thinks they're fraternal, so you may get your boy and might I get my girl!"

 

From their spot at the bonfire, Kyra had revealed to all of the clansmen of the big news and now they all watched with bated breaths as Kaori and Mikoto stood at the water staring at each other.

"I knew something was up when she started to eat for three people and was looking a little more round in the stomach. I can't believe he never figured it out," Kusanagi shook his head, "Mikoto really is clueless sometimes. And after all of the times, he's seen her naked, too."

Kyra giggled, "So, who was it that mentioned twins to Mikoto?"

"Mikoto wanted her to get pregnant with twins," Kusanagi looked at her, "Foolish reasoning but he'll be speechless when she tells him that's what they're having."

Akira nodded as she watched the pair, "Even more so that he gets his little boy and Kaori will have a little girl!"

"Two heirs to the Red Clan?" Tatara smiled and looked down at Kiseki, "We're going to have a real prince here soon, Kiseki."

Anna watched from where she sat on Mikoto's vacant chair with wide eyes, having pulled out one of her marbles and was peeking through it while staring at Kaori.

"I can see them," She looked briefly at Kyra, "They're so tiny."

Kyra reached down to stroke her head gently, "They're only a little over four months old so they're still pretty small. You'll be able to feel them move probably in another couple of months!"

"Did they tell her the due date?" Reina asked excitedly.

Kyra nodded, "They also booked her for all of the next ultrasounds, as well as a caesarian. Her doctor said because Kaori's body is a little on the tiny side that they won't risk her going into labor with the two of them, so she was more than happy to agree. She doesn't want any complications, even with the worries of her condition."

"Yeah," Reina frowned, "It's been such a good time so far that it was almost easy to forget mum has a blood condition."

Tatara and Kyra looked at Reina and smiled, "Don't worry about it, Kaori's back to her old self and has noticed a significant difference with her spray. The few times she's had an accident while helping with the cooking, she doesn't bleed half as bad as she used to."

"Good!" Yata sighed in relief, "So when she has those babies, they'll probably be watching for that?"

Kyra nodded, "I'm wondering if that's why they pushed for her to go that direction, but I know Kaori well enough to know she would have eventually come to that decision on her own."

Everyone nodded in agreement before Akagi pointed, "Look! It's the King!"

All eyes darted over to the pair immediately, anticipating what his reaction would be.

Prompt as always, Tatara handed Kiseki to Akira, who had been standing behind him, and readied his camera.

...

Kaori tilted her head, "Mikoto?"

"..." Mikoto stared down at her in shock, only managing to let out a small grunt before his knees gave out.

"M-Mikoto!" Kaori watched him with wide eyes as he stared at her tummy, "Baby?"

Letting go of her hands, Mikoto slowly reached forward and placed his own hands gently, hesitantly on her rounding belly. She felt her cheeks burn slightly and her eyes water at the sight, watching as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her bump.

"Twins, eh?" He whispered out, "I must have jinxed you."

Kaori giggled and ran her fingers through his fiery locks, "So, you're the reason why I'm having twins? Kyra told me someone mentioned it as a joke but wouldn't tell me who said it."

"Mm," Mikoto remained there on his knees with his hands and forehead on her belly for a moment before looking up at her, "I'm going to be a father?"

"You're going to be a father," Kaori smiled softly, the tears that had begun to pool in her waterline finally running freely down her cheeks, "We're going to be parents, Mikoto and in only five more months."

Slowly rising to his feet, Mikoto reached forward and plucked her off her feet to hold her against him. She brought her legs up to wrap them slightly around his waist and hugged his neck, enjoying the comforting embrace of her husband as the two shared their excitement for the news.

"You're going to be a mother," Mikoto looked up at Kaori, "Damn, we did it."

"Congratulations!" Both looked over to see all of the Red Clan running towards them excitedly.

Mikoto set Kaori down gently and watched as Reina came crashing into her, "You're having twins, mum!"

"I am!" Kaori was beaming, "And I expect each and every one of you to help pick out names!"

"Yeah!"

Tatara walked up to Mikoto and smiled, "Congratulations, King," The Red King looked at his vassal and smiled, "To think our fearsome Red King, feared and respected by so many, is going to be a father."

"When you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm ancient," Mikoto sighed.

Tatara chuckled while Kusanagi placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "You're going to be a great father, Mikoto."

"Thanks," He looked from Tatara to Kusanagi, "Really."

That night, HOMRA stayed until well past midnight to celebrate their King and Queen's great news and to the wonderful year they had. Whether they are drinking to their new lovers, the happiness of the clan having exponentially grown or to the reduction of crime in their territory... They all had so much to celebrate. Each and every member had a smile on their face as they talked to each other so comfortably, anyone would be endeared to have been a witness.

...

_**FIN.** _


	36. EPILOGUE - Fortunate Circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this is it! Hope you all enjoyed this epilogue and the teaser for the sequel at the end of the chapter! :) 
> 
> Note: Sequal I'm going to upload during the next two weeks, as well as the side story that partners with this one. The sequel is "Breaking Point", and the side story that is Mikoto/Kaori centered is "Pieces of Me". :)

"Thanks again for agreeing to meet with her," Shiro looked to Kaori and smiled, "Blake is really excited to meet with you."

Kaori looked at him and nodded with her own bright smile, "It's no trouble at all, really! I'm sorry that I couldn't be there the day you brought her in to meet with Mikoto."

"Well, when we got there and half of your clan wasn't there, I figured you were with them," Shiro pointed out, "But, now's as good a time as any, right!"

Kaori grinned and nodded, following him into the building where the slates were held to rest. He led them both to an elevator and clicked a specific number of keys that created a secret code of sorts before the elevator came to life and took them to the top.

"Is that the only way to get access to the top floor?" Kaori asked, motioning to the buttons off to the left side of the doors.

Shiro nodded, "They decided to change the security around significantly after the Green Clan invaded. They wanted to steal the slates in order to bestow their powers to every human in order to create a new world, but luckily, our new Gold King is as stubborn as the previous one," He grinned and sighed contently, "She is very much her uncle's niece."

"You seem to like her very much," Kaori looked at him slyly, "She wouldn't happen to be your lover, now would she?"

"As a matter of fact, she is," Shiro chuckled and smiled, "It took a while before things calmed down enough for her to breathe after having so much brought down on her all at once before she and I could bring our friendship above just that."

The Red Queen nodded and smiled, "I'm happy you've found her, Shiro. Everyone needs someone, and that includes the Immortal King."

Shiro winked, "Thank you."

...

"Ah, you made it!" Blake looked up from her desk and stood up, "And you've brought a friend with you!"

Rounding the intricate marble desk the Usagi had insisted she use, Blake trotted over to the pair and held out her hand to Kaori. The Red Queen, in turn, held out her own and clasped her hand around Blake's.

"It's so nice to finally meet," Blake grinned from ear-to-ear, "When Shiro told me that Mikoto Suoh was getting married and that he would be the one to marry you two, I tried _everything_ to get out of work so I could go and meet you and the others!"

Kaori giggled and smiled, "That's quite alright. You're always welcome to come for a visit with HOMRA, so please, feel free to."

"Thanks," Blake's excitement increased tenfold when she finally looked down to see Kaori's rather large, protruding belly, "And you're _very_ pregnant, I see!"

"With twins," Kaori added with a wink, "I blame Mikoto. He jinxed me when Tatara's fiance Kyra had their baby girl."

Blake giggled, "Well, it must have happened for a reason."

Kaori nodded and rubbed her belly gently, "Not long now. I go in to be induced tomorrow."

" _TOMORROW_?!" Blake's eyes bulged, as did Shiro's, who hadn't know her due date was so soon, "You're having your babies tomorrow and you're here?!"

"Of course," Kaori grinned, "I was getting cabin fever and there were only two people at the bar today, so I figured it would be easy for me to escape. Shiro helped too when he called to ask me what I was doing for this morning."

Blake blinked several times before giggling, "You're so different from how I pictured you… Wow," She smiled and offered both Kaori and Shiro a seat, "I never would have thought the Red King would leave you alone so close to your due date."

"Trust me when I say that he'll be on his way shortly," Kaori sighed and waddled her way over to her seat, "He'll piece two-and-two together and be here within the next half hour, if not sooner."

Blake sat down and grinned, "I'll let the Usagi know so they don't try to stop him."

"That would be advised," Kaori giggled, "Mikoto tends to lose his mind when he thinks I'm in any kind of distress."

"For obvious reasons!" Blake grinned.

After getting in touch with the head of the Usagi, the three fell into a pleasant conversation. Blake asked Kaori many things about her life in the clan and why she chose the route she did, while Kaori would ask her how she enjoyed her new life as a King. Blake admitted that being the new Gold King was very hard, strenuous work, but would not stop smiling as she spoke of her uncle's final moments with her so fondly.

"He came to me when I stood before the slates," Blake looked down at herself with a smile, "I didn't think it was possible to see him before his soul finally departed, but as the slates power opened up, he and I got to say goodbye to one another."

Kaori smiled softly, "In a world where Kings with supernatural powers are the backbone and law of this city, nothing surprises me anymore."

"Agreed," Blake looked at her, "I think that's why I wasn't afraid when he came to me at that moment."

Shiro watched the two with a smile, "She's a fine second Gold King, and has already proven her powers and importance in such a little amount of time."

"Yes, I heard about you fighting the Green Clan," Kaori said, "That was very brave of you to take them on all on your own."

Blake crossed her arms under her bust and grinned, "I have my uncle Joji's stubbornness and lack of fear when it comes to those things, so I was alright. Besides, I couldn't back down to a man! Are you kidding? I would die rather than let my arse get beat by a scrawny young man! If that happened, Munakata would never let me live that down and try to push me around more than he already did when I was finding my way around being a King."

Kaori giggled and Shiro sighed from beside her, "She's quite lively, isn't she?"

"That she is," Shiro chuckled and smiled, "Although, this is the first I'm hearing of her addressing the Green King in such a way."

"That's because you never gave me a chance to, Shiro!" Blake frowned, "You always tell everyone before I get to say anything!"

Suddenly, there was an alarm that went off for all but thirty seconds before a voice announced over the intercom about the Red Kings arrival and to allow him passage through the building. Blake looked at Kaori, who sheepishly grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"Good thing I warned you first, eh?" Kaori giggled, rubbing her belly absentmindedly as she waited for Mikoto to appear.

It took all of two minutes before several of the Usagi and a very worried Red King walked out of the elevator. Blake dismissed the guards who had accompanied Mikoto, watching as he crossed the room with long strides to get to his Queen.

"You know," Kaori looked up at him as he stood beside her, his amber eyes boring down on her, "You could have stuck a note somewhere to let any of us know where you were."

"I could have," She smiled innocently up at him, "But I just needed to get out of there on my own for a while."

Mikoto wasn't playing along, "Kaori…"

Having noticed the way the conversation was about to go, Shiro stood up and rubbed the back of his neck feeling nervousness creep upon him at the hard stare he was receiving from the Red King, "Actually, don't put the blame on her. I was the one who called her and invited her out."

Mikoto eyed Shiro for a moment before the tension in his shoulders dropped slightly in relief, clearly satisfied that Kaori was in the presence of King's he trusted, "Fine," When she scooted over on the small sofa she was sitting on, she pats the spot beside her and watched as Mikoto dropped down unceremoniously with his hands still in his pockets, "Next time, just call before you disappear."

"I will," She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, "Sorry for worrying you so much."

Blake, who had been watching the two while talking on the phone with one of the Usagi, set her device down and looked at the Red King, "So… The three buildings and the several cars destroyed on the way here was you I take it?"

"Yep," He didn't even bother denying it.

Blake shook her head and sighed, "Well, I suppose I can pass this off as you being worried over her safety."

"That wouldn't be appreciated," Mikoto looked at her, "I don't need Munakata up my ass over a personal matter."

Blake giggled, "You don't get along with him very much, do you?"

Mikoto grunted and looked at Kaori, "It's a long story."

"Would you like to go?" Kaori tilted her head, noticing the look she was being given, "I'll take that as a yes."

Blake and Shiro both rose to their feet as Mikoto helped his wife up, "Even though we only had a small amount of time to meet, I appreciate you coming today, Kaori."

"No worries," Kaori smiled at Blake and then looked at Shiro, "Sorry for getting you into trouble."

Mikoto and Shiro shared a brief glance before the Silver King grinned, "It's all good."

"Come again once you've had those two lovelies of yours!" Blake waved as Mikoto lead Kaori to the elevator doors, "I really can't wait to see them!"

Kaori waved back and grinned brightly, "I will!"

Shiro and Blake watched them until they disappeared behind the doors, "I wonder…" Shiro muttered, reached up to cup his chin between his index finger and thumb.

"You wonder, what?" Blake looked up at him.

"Their offspring," Shiro looked at her, "I wonder if they will be born with Mikoto Suoh's powers, or if they will inherit a fraction of his flames and be technically like a strain."

Blake nodded slowly, "Good question. This is the first time a King and Queen have been brought together, isn't it?"

"It is, and I think it's also the first time one of the Seven has a pregnant wife," Shiro dropped his hand, "My sister, Claudia, always suggested that should one of the Kings ever have offspring, that it would be as powerful as the one who fathered it. Although, that was always a theory it was one without the addition of a real Queen as the mother."

"So you're saying there are people out there that can actually become a Queen?" Blake's brow rose, "Isn't that like... A one-in-a-million shot?"

Shiro nodded and smiled, "It is, but I believe that there's a reason why the most violent and devastating of the Seven found his other half before the others," Blake waited patiently for him to continue, "The previous Red King was consumed by his flames after losing control, causing the Kagutsu Crater incident. When Mikoto rose to power, he became the second youngest of all the Kings at the time after Hisui Nagare became the Green King."

"That's quite a responsibility for a young person, isn't it?" Blake frowned, "I mean, I'm not exactly old but I wasn't a teenager when this happened."

Shiro nodded, "It can be a shock and a burden, that's for sure."

\- x -

"Care to tell me the real reason you went out on your own?" Mikoto walked beside Kaori with a freshly lit cigarette between his lips, one of his hands in hers and the other deep in his trouser pocket.

Kaori felt his grip on her hand tighten slightly and sighed, "I told you, Mikoto. I just wanted to get out for a while and when Shiro called to invite me to go meet Blake, I said yes."

"And you couldn't leave a note or call to tell me where you were going?" Mikoto's eyes shot down to her, "Do you have any idea how worried Izumo was when he called to tell me that you weren't there?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, "Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Mikoto."

Mikoto stopped walking and turned to her, ignoring the curious looks from the people walking around them, "There is an enemy clan out there waiting for the opportunity to gain an advantage on us, Kaori. Do you understand that?"

"I was with the Silver King, Mikoto. I'm fairly certain that he would have protected me," She brought her hand up to cut off his angry reply, "You forget that as your clan's Queen, I now have access to the complete Red Clan sanctum. I may be pregnant, but I would still put up a fight and exert my own powers against anyone who came at me. I'm not entirely defenseless, you know."

He stared down at her for a moment before sighed deeply and running his hand over his fiery locks, "Damn it, why the hell do you have to be so stubborn?"

"I'm your wife and we've been together for going on nine years now," Kaori crossed her arms, "You should realize I've gotten all of my bad habits from you."

Mikoto shot her a halfhearted glare before taking her hand again and pulling her into a leisurely pace, "If you're going to argue, then just tell me next time you decide to do something, alright?"

"I will," Kaori looked up at him, "Next time please don't destroy a section of town to come look for me?"

He shook his head, "I'd of burned down the entire city to find you if you weren't with those two Kings. And for your concerns, there won't be a next time. If you disappear like that again I'll stick to you like fucking glue for the rest of your life."

Kaori sighed softly, "I know…" Reaching up with her free hand, she rubbed his upper arm in a soothing manner, "I'm sorry."

"I know," Mikoto looked down at her, "Save your apology for Izumo, though. He's not too impressed with you right now."

Kaori bit her bottom lip and walked back to HOMRA with Mikoto in silence. When they arrived, all of the clansmen watched the two walk through the door but no one made a sound, having looked at the still-stressed look on their King's face.

"Izumo," Kaori pulled her hand away from Mikoto's and crossed the room, meeting the bartender halfway after he escaped the space behind the counter, "I'm so sorry."

Kusanagi walked to her and looked down at her, "You scared the shit out of me, Kaori," He reached up and planted a hand lightly on top of her head, "I don't know who is worse. You, or your wayward husband."

"I heard that," Mikoto grunted.

Kaori smiled small at Kusanagi's words, "I promise I won't do it again."

"No, you won't," Kusanagi looked down at her as if he were her parent, causing her to shrink under his unrelenting gaze, "You'll stay here in this building until tomorrow when _Mikoto and I_ escort you to the hospital."

Akira couldn't help but grin as she watched Kaori nod slowly and look away from him as he reprimanded her. Even as he pointed to the couch where Mikoto had already seated himself, Kaori walked over silently and sat down without looking him in the eye.

"You know," Akira looked at him when he walked back behind the counter, "If I didn't know any better, I'd of thought you were her father."

Kusanagi chuckled softly, "Well, I am the oldest in HOMRA, so it seems only fitting."

Meanwhile, Kaori sat silently beside Mikoto as Anna rushed over to hop up onto the couch with her. Kyra and Tatara also joined them, sitting on the leather sofa across from their own while offering the two smiles.

"Kaori," Anna looked up at her surrogate mother, gripping her shirt tightly in her small fists.

Kaori looked down at her and smiled, "Yes, Anna?"

"Please don't leave," He large crimson eyes watered slightly, "You need to stay with us."

Mikoto looked at Anna before looking at his wife, noticing the shocked expression on her face.

Sure enough, like all situations circulating around HOMRA this past year, Kaori's labor was completely unexpected and happened during a moment of reprieve after some turmoil. They rushed their Queen to the hospital, where the doctor who was scheduled to do her procedure the next day, took her in and began preparing for her for an emergency caesarian. Mikoto had been the only one the doctor allowed to join them in the delivery room, having had a nurse escort the others to a place they would wait for news.

Ironically, all of the Red Clan was stuffed into the same room they had been in during Kiseki's delivery, with them all waiting impatiently for news of their Queen. They'd been held up in the waiting room for over three hours when worry began to circulate in the atmosphere.

"They should have been done by now," Kyra frowned, "I hope nothing's happened..."

Tatara placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, "I'm sure everything is fine. You'll see, Mikoto will walk in any minute down to give us the great news and possibly have the babies with him."

"I hope you're right," Kyra sighed and looked down at Kiseki, "What do you think, Kiseki? This your aunty Kaori will be alright?"

Kiseki reached for her mother's bangs that hung low from her head and made a giggling noise, which had been surprisingly enough to ease several Red clansman's minds while they waited.

Another hour passed before anyone heard any commotion outside, each one holding their breaths as a nurse walked into the room, her face void of any happiness that usually accompanied the announcement of newborn infants.

Kyra's eyes immediately watered, "Please tell me Kaori's okay..."

The nurse looked at her and then to everyone, "You're all members of the Red Clan?" When they all nodded she offered them a small smile, "Well, I have some good news and some bad news."

Yata held Reina tightly to him when his lover began to shake, while Kusanagi gripped Akira's hand to keep her calm. Everyone was silent but their eyes screamed with the emotions shared by each of the clansmen.

"Kaori suffered very bad internal injury as well as severe blood loss during her labor," The nurse got straight to it, "We were able to deliver both her daughter and son through the caesarian, but there were complications during the process and we think because of the supernatural powers of her children, one of them created a tear through her uterus. If she hadn't arrived when she did, Kaori might not be here with us."

"But she's okay, though?!" Kyra repeated with distress, pulling against Tatara's hold.

The nurse nodded, "She's currently receiving a couple of blood transfusions, but other than that she's alright. She won't be allowed visitors until she's awake and has been checked on by the doctor. As for her twins, they're both doing well and are currently being held in the supernatural holding place where all strains are taken when born before returning to their mothers."

"How's Mikoto handling all of this?" Kusanagi was the one to ask the question that weighed heavy on everyone's mind at the relief of Kaori being alright, "I can't imagine he handled almost losing his wife very well."

The nurse looked at him and sighed, "Unfortunately, we had to sedate Mikoto during the process of delivering the twins," The grim expression on the bartenders face told her that he was expecting to hear something similar to the effect, "He's currently with Kaori in her room after fighting with the doctors to stay with her."

"Probably for the best you guys gave in," Kusanagi sighed.

The nurse regarded him with a small smile, "I'll let the doctor know that you've all been brought up to speed, and I'll also pass the word on to your friend."

They watched as she excused herself and each heaved a heavy breath of both relief and anguish.

"Thank god she's alive," Kyra sobbed softly as she held Kiseki close to her.

Tatara nodded and rubbed her arms on a soothing manner, "She's going to be alright," He turned to look at both Yata and Reina, who were both in tears at the news and offered them a soft smile.

Meira and Kamamoto walked over to the pair and sat beside them, while Kusanagi handled the others. Akira took Kian and Rin off to the side and began talking to them, trying to relieve some tension.

Three hours passed when Mikoto finally walked in, now free of the medical garb that had been given to him upon arrival but the stress of the day's events was plainly drawn on his face. All eyes were on him as he walked over and sat down in the only free seat in the room, as Anna rushed over to be with him.

"How is she?" Kusanagi broke the silence.

Mikoto looked down at Anna, "She's awake," He slouched forward and placed a hand on Anna's head, "She's alive because of you."

"Mikoto..." Anna looked up at him, "Can I go see her?"

"Soon," Mikoto replied, "The doctor is there right now and asked to speak to her alone."

Tatara walked over and looked down at his King, "When do you get to see your babies?"

"They're being brought over as we speak," Mikoto looked at him, "Both were having a device put on them to temporarily seal their powers. It was the only condition that we had to agree to in order for the doctor to release them both to us after what had happened."

There was a knock on the door that pulled all of their attention over to a new nurse, who smiled and told everyone that they were welcome to go in and see Kaori now.

"Come on, Anna," Mikoto stood up and took her hand, leading her out of the room after giving each of his clansmen a look of approval for them to follow.

When they got to her room, Reina and Yata burst forward to go be beside Kaori while Tatara took Kiseki from Kyra and let her join them. Rin and Kian, who were both still fairly new to the clan, stood back with Chitose and Eric while watching the others.

Kaori smiled softly at everyone, "Sorry to worry you all..."

"Don't be silly," Kyra wiped her tears away with her knuckles and smiled, "We're just so damn happy you're alright."

Reina was about to say something when a cry came from the other side of Kaori's bed, "They're here!"

"The nurse brought them a couple of minutes before you all showed up," Kaori giggled, "And look, they even have Mikoto's hair."

All of the girls immediately took interest in the clan's newest additions, each jumping at the chance to look at the little ones and introduce themselves.

Both of the twins had fiery red locks, paired with pale skin and strong yet gentle features.

"Do you have names for them yet?" Kyra asked with excitement.

Kaori shook her head and looked at Mikoto, "We were going to decide once they arrived," She looked down at Anna, who patiently waited by the side of her bed and pat the spot beside her, "Come on Anna, don't be shy."

Anna smiled and crawled up, taking her spot nestled against Kaori's side and laying her head against her shoulder. Kaori smiled softly and watched as the strain closed her eyes. Bringing her arm up, she wrapped it around Anna so she could hold her close.

"Can we hold them?" Reina looked at Kaori with wide eyes.

With a shake of her head, Kaori offered them all a small smile, "They've just been given a booster and the nurses said they both got a little sick when they were in the other room, so she said to let them rest before even I hold them."

"Poor things," Kyra frowned and stroked the little girl's cheek, "Not even ten hours old and you've already experienced tummy aches."

Mikoto wandered over and sat down on the edge of the bed by Kaori's hips, "How are you doing?"

"Well," She looked at her husband, "The doctor said that this will be my last bag for the transfusion, and my stitches are looking good so I should be clear to go home in a few days as long as everything looks good. And sadly, I'm also on strict orders to do the bare minimum for the next few weeks because of the surgery and the severity of what had happened, so that sucks."

There was a wave of relief that crashed over the Red King, "Good. I don't like seeing you hooked up to all of the IV lines," He reached out to touch her face gently, "And you bet your ass you'll be taking it easy."

Kaori smiled softly at him, "I'm sorry for making you worry so much."

"You always have so nothing's changed," Mikoto chuckled slightly and looked over to the little baskets their children were currently resting in, "What in the hell are we going to name them?"

Kaori looked over slowly pushed herself into an upright position, with the help of Anna and her husband. After a moment of careful movements, Kaori swung her legs over the side so she could lean over to further inspect her beautiful babies.

"Good question," She mused and reached over to stroke her son's cheek and then to her daughter's, "We aren't as prepared as Kyra and Tatara were."

Kyra giggled and smiled, "I'm sure it'll come to you."

Kaori nodded and slowly stood up from her bed, feeling Mikoto's hands on her hips to help stabilize her as she carefully picked up her son and cradled him in one arm and then skillfully picked up her daughter. She looked down at the two for a long while in silence, admiring how beautiful and completely oblivious they both were to the world and its wonders. Mikoto smiled softly from over her shoulder, taking in the sight of his family and enjoying the way Kaori's features lit up as the babies opened their eyes.

"Well, now," Kaori giggled and leaned down to press her lips to her little girl's head first, "What do you think about Alani?"

Mikoto slipped his hands from her hips to around her waist and held her against him, watching as the delicate bundle of light pink with flaming red hair wiggled around in her blanket, "I think she likes it."

From off to the side, chuckles and soft giggles could be heard as the Red Clan watched their King and Queen together, holding the two bundles of joy they'd so patiently waited for. After a moment of admiring the small family, Kusanagi ushered each of the clansmen out of the room to give the two new parents some privacy with their newborns.

Kyra looked up at Tatara and grinned before stroking Kiseki's cheek affectionately, "Hear that, my little angel? Your little sister's name is Alani!"

Tatara grinned and watched, motioning to Kusanagi that they would follow momentarily and looked over at Anna. She had still been laying on the bed and watching Mikoto and Kaori silently with a curious expression, waiting patiently to see the new arrivals. When she looked over at Kyra and Tatara, he motioned with his hand for her to join them and so she slid off the bed and padded her way to them.

"What about your son?" Kaori looked up at the Red King from over her shoulder and smiled, "It seems only fitting that you choose a name for the heir to your clan."

" _Our_ clan you mean," Mikoto corrected, "Hmm..."

Mikoto took a good look at his son, leaning over Kaori and resting his chin on her shoulder to take in the little one's features. Despite looking very much like his mother, Mikoto could also see the strong resemblance to himself in the boy.

Having been told it was his son that damaged Kaori's body during the procedure, Mikoto couldn't think of any other suitable name other than what immediately came to mind.

"Kaen," His eyes flickered to Kaori's, "Because of his flames."

Kaori smiled softly and looked down at her baby boy, "Kaen, eh?" She watched as his eyes opened to look up at both Mikoto and Kaori as if taking in all of their features, "He has your eyes."

Satisfied with hearing both names, Kyra silently excused herself while Tatara took Anna's hand and gently pulled her along with them after promising to personally insist to Mikoto that she deserved to the be the first to hold the new clansman.

He cast a happy smile at the two while quickly snapping a few precious photos before excusing himself, having caught a glimpse of Mikoto as he helped Kaori back onto the bed before accepting his daughter into his arms. It was like seeing his King holding Kiseki all over again, watching as their fearsome leader fell into putty at the hands of an infant. Even more so when Kaori shuffled to the side so he could lay beside her and leaned his head against his wife's, allowing him to easily admire his three loved ones for as long as he wanted.

"She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger, you know that, right?" Kaori mused with a grin.

Mikoto chuckled and watched Alani test out her fingers by closing them around one of his own, "I think it's safe to say she already has."

Kaori giggled and nodded.

While Mikoto played with Alani, Kaori took the opportunity to nurse Kaen before having him settle in her arms, "I think he's going to be just like you," She looked at Mikoto and winked, "From the hair to the eyes, he's every bit of you."

"Hopefully he has your personality," Mikoto sighed, "I don't want either of them to have my temper and have to go through the trouble of disciplining them."

Kaori smirked, "You just don't want them to have your temper because then you'll know exactly what I went through back in the days when we were still young and in school."

"Yeah, I suppose," Mikoto reluctantly agreed, "Your mother is going to kill me, you know that? We just got on speaking terms now, too."

"Why would she kill you?" Kaori blinked before wincing at Kaen's sudden strong grip on her breast, gently pulling his hand away and holding it in her own, "Mum knows we're married."

Mikoto shook his head, "She told me the day I got you pregnant was the day she personally castrated me. Remember, that woman doesn't want grandkids."

"Oh yeah," Kaori giggled and grinned brightly, "Too late, we have two!"

"Yeah," Mikoto looked down at Alani and noticed she'd fallen asleep, "You're not the one who has to suffer physical abuse or dodge shit being thrown at you when we tell her that we have kids now."

Kaori smiled, "Don't worry, I'll protect you from my big, bad mother."

\- x -

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location sat four people and a very talented green parrot. One prettied himself up and was admiring his work in the mirror while a younger member was currently battling an in-game boss to level up his character.

Off to the side, sat the eldest member of their group as he sipped his canned drink in contentment, clearly enjoying how calm the day had been thus far. Beside him in a technologically advanced wheelchair, sat the most important figure of the group. He sat silently watching his clansman as they went about their daily rituals while every so often glancing towards a holographic screen with a peculiar sight.

"It's about that time, isn't it?" Tenkei asked, looking up at the bound man with interest, "Are you sure you want to stir that pot so soon, Nagare? She's barely out of surgery and is probably going to need time to heal."

Nagare nodded with a smile slowly playing at his lips, "I understand, however, it seems to be the only way that I can regain control in this game is to find a way to bring her here. She is well-liked by all of the Kings, as well as having a direct line to the Dresden slates because of her union with him," He eyed the small family cuddled together on the hospital bed on the screen, "She's the key piece to this game."

"Shall I go and retrieve her for you, Nagare?" Yukari asked, looking over to his King after finishing with the application of his skin cream, "I believe Sukuna and I are more than capable of gathering her from a distracted King without much difficulty."

Nagare shook his head, "Not yet, but we will move soon. As Mr. Iwa suggested, she will need time to recover from her unexpected injury from delivering her infants, so we must be patient."

"We'll be ready to go when the time comes, then!" Sukuna grinned, overjoyed at both his upcoming mission and his victory in the console game he was playing.

Tenkei sighed and chuckled, "You're all ambitious, that's for sure. Picking the Red Queen as your target will definitely get their attention."


End file.
